A  NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 
GEN.  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY 


Major  General,  the  Hon.  John  "Yankee"  Sullivan,  1740-1795,  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  of  the  "Sullivan  Expedition"  against  the  Six  Indian 
Nations  in  1779.  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  Hampshire,  (president  of 
the  province).  United  States  district  judge,  for  the  district  of  N.  H., 
1789-95,  and  friend  of  George  Washington. 

From  a  portrait  by  Otis,  painted  about  1772,  and  now  in  the  State  House 
at  Concord,  N.  H.  This  picture  shows  him  in  the  uniform  of  a  Major  of 
provincial  militia. 


A   New   Hampshire   Lawyer  in 
General    Washington's    Army 


A  Biographical  Sketch  of  the 
HON.  JOHN  SULLIVAN,  LL.D., 

Major  General  in  the  Continental  Army 

And  an  Account  of  the  Expedition  under  his  command 
against  the  Six  Indian  Nations  in  1779 


By 
OSCAR  E.  RISING 


FIRST  EDITION 


GENEVA,  N.  Y. 

PRESS  OF  W.  F.  HUMPHREY 

1915 


DEDICATION 

To  THE  MEMORY  OF  MY  MOTHER,  ARVILLA 
CATHERINE  RISING,  WHO  BELIEVED  WHEN 

OTHERS  DOUBTED,  AND  WHO  IS  NOW  NUM 
BERED  WITH  THE  ALL  WISE  THOUGH  SPEECH 
LESS  DEAD,  THIS  BOOK  IS  LOVINGLY  DEDI 
CATED,  BY  HER  SON. 


A  FOREWORD 

"¥  ^THILE  preparing  this  sketch  of  General  Sulli- 
V  V  van's  life,  I  have  been  dominated  by  the  feel 
ing  that  it  behooves  the  people  who  live  in  the 
Susquehanna,  Lehigh,  Chemung,  Mohawk  and  Genesee 
Valleys,  to  know  more  about  their  Revolutionary  fore 
fathers  and  the  great  work  that  those  old  fellows  in  buff 
and  blue  did  for  the  advancement  of  civilization  and 
the  planting  of  the  tree  of  liberty  in  our  soil,  the  shade 
of  which  we  of  today  enjoy.  John  Sullivan,  standing  amid 
his  band  of  4,000  devoted  Continentals,  forcing  their 
way  out  into  the  wilderness  against  the  savage  tribes, 
is  to  me,  the  sublimest  spectacle  the  history  of  our  coun 
try  furnishes. 

"God  bless  John  Sullivan's  heroes  of  1779, 
For  their  brave  deeds  of  soldier  daring, 
Which  broke  the  chain  of  the  Iroquois  line, 

And  brought  the  peace  we  are  this  day  sharing." 

General  Sullivan  was  my  maternal  grandfather's  great- 
uncle,  and  therefore  I  have  the  honor  to  be  a  great-great- 
grand  nephew  of  the  hearty  old  patriot  General.  For 
Col.  Hubley's  Journal,  and  General  Sullivan's  report, 
as  well  as  the  roster  of  officers,  I  am  indebted  to  "General 
John  Sullivan's  Indian  Expedition  in  1779,"  which  was 
compiled  by  the  late  George  S.  Conover,  of  Geneva,  N.  Y., 
and  published  by  the  State  of  New  York  in  1887. 

I  use  this  foreword  as  a  medium  to  convey  my  thanks 
to  the  Reynolds  Library  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  for  allow 
ing  me  the  free  use  of  reference  works,  of  which,  I  regret 
to  say,  there  are  not  many,  for  strange  as  it  may  seem  to 
many  of  my  readers,  the  story  of  General  Sullivan's 


Expedition  does  not  fill  as  large  a  page  in  our  history,  as 
do  the  accounts  of  Burgoyne's  invasion,  or  the  siege  of 
Yorktown. 

To  some  it  may  seem  out  of  place  for  one  to  write  of 
one's  own  ancestors,  but  to  quote  from  Goethe:  "Happy 
he  who  with  bright  regard,  looks  back  upon  his  father's 
fathers,  who  with  joy  recounts  their  deeds  of  grace,  and 
in  himself,  values  the  latent  link  in  the  fair  chain  of 
noble  sequences." 

I  hand  this  little  book  over  to  the  American  people, 
(many  of  whom  are  descendants  of  "Yankee"  Sullivan's 
men),  in  the  hope  that  it  may  find  a  few  readers  among 
the  millions  of  knowledge  seekers  in  our  land.  If  it 
succeeds  in  doing  so,  I  will  feel  that  my  labor  in  preparing 
it  has  not  been  in  vain,  and  will  be  entirely  satisfied. 

OSCAR  E.  RISING. 
ROCHESTER,  N.  Y.,  April,  1914. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Major  General  John  Sullivan  (Frontispiece). 

The  Home  of  General  Sullivan  at  Durham,  N.  H. 

The  Old  Sullivan  Monument  on  Newtown  battlefield. 

The  New  Sullivan  Monument  on  Newtown  battlefield. 

The  Sullivan  Memorial  at  Canandaigua,  N.  Y. 

Boulder  at  Fort  Sullivan  (Athens,  Pa.) 

Outline  of  Fort  Sullivan. 

The  Marker  at  Wysox,  Pa. 

The  Old  Athens  Academy. 

Standing  Stone  Rock  in  the  Susquehanna  River. 


A  NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 
GEN.  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY 

CHAPTER  I 

Though  generations  have  gone  since  then, 

And  scenes  of  life  are  often  shifted, 
We  see  John  Sullivan  and  his  men, 

As  mists  of  a  hundred  years  and  more  are  lifted. 

ONE  day  in  the  year  1723,  a  young  Irishman,  accom 
panied  by  a  young  woman,  landed  from  a  small 
sailing  vessel    at  Berwick,    Maine.     The  young 
man's  name  was  Owen  O'Sullivan,  and  he  was  a  descendant 
of  Donall  O' Sully  van,  Lord  of  Bearehaven,  in  the  time  of 
"good  Queen  Bess."     The  young  woman  was  his  sweet 
heart.     A  few  years  after  their  arrival  at  Berwick,  they 
were  married,  and  took  up  their  residence  in  Somers- 
worth,  New  Hampshire,  just  across  the  river  from  Ber 
wick. 

Seventeen  years  after  their  arrival  in  the  Colonies, 
(on  the  17th  of  February,  1740),  a  son  was  born  to  them, 
whom  they  christened  John.  This  son  grew  to  manhood, 
and  under  his  father's  tuition  received  a  good  education, 
and  took  up  the  study  of  law,  and  having  qualified  himself 
for  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession,  he  "hung  out  his 
shingle"  in  the  little  town  of  Durham,  in  southeastern 
New  Hampshire,  and  soon  became  a  prominent  man  in 
the  community.  Then  the  cloud  of  the  revolution 
appeared  on  the  horizon,  and  in  September  1774,  he  was 
chosen  as  a  delegate  to  the  first  Continental  Congress, 
then  assembling  at  Carpenter's  Hall,  in  Philadelphia. 
Upon  his  return  from  Congress,  he  and  a  friend  by  the 
name  of  John  Langdon,  led  a  raid  on  Fort  William  and 

ii 


12  A    NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

Mary  at  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  from  which  they 
carried  off  all  the  cannon,  and  ammunition  which  consisted 
of  97  kegs  of  powder,  which  they  hid  under  the  pulpit 
of  Durham  Church.  On  the  19th  of  the  following  April, 
(1775),  the  great  drama  of  the  revolution  opened  at 
Lexington,  and  on  the  17th  of  June,  1775,  the  Battle  of 
Bunker  Hill  was  fought,  where  several  cart  loads  of  this 
powder  was  used,  and  while  Charles  town  was  wrapped 
in  flames,  and  the  loud  hurrahs  were  resounding  over  the 
American  lines,  Congress  was  voting  the  appointment 
of  George  Washington  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
Continental  Army;  at  the  same  time  they  appointed  eight 
Brigadier  Generals,  John  Sullivan  being  one  of  them. 
Soon  after  his  appointment  he  proceeded  to  headquarters 
at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts.  In  1776  he  was  put  in 
command  of  the  troops  in  Canada,  but  on  his  arrival 
at  the  Sorel  River,  he  found  the  army  just  leaving  the 
province.  He  at  once  directed  General  Thompson  to 
attack  the  British  at  Three  Rivers,  but  the  attack  was 
poorly  planned  and  poorly  carried  out.  He  was  com 
pelled  to  retreat,  and  fell  back  on  Crown  Point,  where 
soon  after  General  Gates  arrived  to  supersede  him.  His 
fiery  and  independent  nature  rebelled  at  finding  a  junior 
officer  promoted  over  him,  and  he  hastened  away  to 
Congress  to  offer  his  resignation,  but  the  President  of 
Congress  persuaded  him  to  retain  his  command,  telling 
him  he  was  too  valuable  a  man  to  be  lost  to  the  service. 
This  appealed  to  Sullivan's  natural  vanity,  so  he  with 
drew  his  resignation,  and  joined  the  army  of  Washington. 
He  commanded  a  few  regiments  in  the  battle  of  Long 
Island,  and  withstood  the  combined  attacks,  of  DeHeister 
and  Clinton,  being  compelled  to  face  his  troops  both  ways 
to  meet  this  double  enemy.  He  struggled  desperately 


GENERAL   WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  13 

for  three  hours  to  save  his  troops,  but  was  at  last  com 
pelled  to  surrender,  but  was  soon  exchanged  for  the 
British  General  Prescott.  Again  joining  the  army,  he 
was  made  a  Major  General,  and  was  put  at  the  head  of 
one  of  the  divisions. 

In  the  summer  of  1777  Sullivan's  division  was  stationed 
at  Hanover,  New  Jersey,  where  he  planned  an  unsuccessful 
attack  on  Staten  Island.  For  this  expedition  he  was 
much  blamed,  and  a  court  of  inquiry  called  to  sit  on  his 
conduct,  but  he  was  honorably  acquitted. 

He  commanded  the  right  WTing  of  the  army  at  the  battle 
of  Brandywine  where  he  suffered  a  defeat,  the  loss  of  two 
of  his  aides,  and  had  his  own  horse  shot  from  under  him. 
He  escaped  without  injury  to  himself. 

The  caution  of  Washington  had  prevented  any  decisive 
engagement  during  the  early  part  of  the  year  1777,  but 
the  march  of  the  British  toward  Philadelphia  induced 
him  to  hazard  a  battle.  His  army  met  that  of  Howe  near 
the  Brandywine  River,  and  after  a  long  and  fierce  battle, 
Howe  obtained  a  decisive  victory  over  the  Americans  and 
entered  Philadelphia. 

General  Sullivan  has  been  blamed,  and  unjustly  so, 
for  the  loss  of  this  battle,  the  brunt  of  which  was  borne 
by  his  division  and  that  of  "Mad  Anthony"  Wayne,  who 
is  best  known  as  the  hero  of  Stony  Point. 

The  British  loss  at  Brandywine  was  estimated  at  six 
hundred  men  in  killed  and  wounded,  and  the  fact  that  the 
American  loss  was  about  one  thousand,  shows  how  firmly 
Sullivan  had  contested  his  ground. 

In  the  early  morning  of  the  4th  of  October,  1777, 
the  battle  of  Germantown  was  fought,  where  General 
Sullivan  commanded  one  of  the  divisions,  and  throughout 
the  entire  "engagement"  he  conducted  himself  nobly 


14  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

and  won  new  honors",  and  when  his  troops,  becoming 
panic-stricken,  fled,  he  tried  bravely  but  in  vain,  by 
voice  and  example,  to  rally  them.  When  the  army  went 
into  winter  quarters  at  Valley  Forge,  Sullivan  was  there, 
and  was  as  ever,  ready  to  bear  his  share  of  the  hardships. 
While  the  American  troops  were  laying  at  Valley  Forge 
in  a  half  starved,  half  naked,  and  wholly  wretched  condi 
tion,  during  the  winter  of  1777-1778,  he  became  destitute, 
and  asked  permission  of  Washington  to  return  to  his 
New  Hampshire  home  for  the  purpose  of  raising  funds 
to  meet  his  pressing  personal  needs,  but  the  shrewd,  far- 
seeing  Washington,  seeing  the  detrimental  effect  this  would 
have  on  his  tattered  soldiery,  prevailed  on  Sullivan  to 
remain  until  spring,  and  so  great  was  his  love  for  Wash 
ington  that  he  withdrew  his  temporary  resignation  and 
remained.  If  Gen.  Sullivan  had  not  been  of  too  kind 
and  generous  a  heart  to  ask  for  the  interest  on  money 
that  he  had  loaned,  he  would  not  have  found  himself 
in  so  destitute  a  condition  at  Valley  Forge,  but  as  he 
thought  the  people  had  burdens  enough  to  bear  without 
paying  interest  on  the  money  that  he  had  loaned,  and  as 
he  never  allowed  himself  to  be  guided  by — 

The  good  old  rule, 

The  simple  plan, 

That  they  should  take  who  have  the  power, 

And  they  should  keep  who  can, — 

he  acted  like  the  noble  man  he  was  and  bore  the  burden 
of  want  without  a  murmur. 

In  the  month  of  March,  1778,  he  was  given  the  com 
mand  of  the  army  in  Rhode  Island,  where  he  was  retained 
until  the  early  spring  of  1779,  when  he  was  offered  and 
accepted  the  command-in-chief  of  that  picturesque  and 
decisive  expedition  against  the  Six  Indian  Nations, where 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  15 

he  rendered  his  name  immortal,  and  of  which  I  will  now 
speak. 

But  before  we  accompany  John  Sullivan  and  his  men 
on  their  great  march  into  and  through  the  country  of  the 
Six  Nations,  let  us  take  a  brief  glance  at  that  picturesque 
and  now  almost  extinct  people,  who  were,  for  many 
centuries  "the  brave  ordainers  of  imperial  law  for  western 
wilds."  The  once  proud  and  all-conquering  Iroquois. 

A  GLANCE  AT  THE  IROQUOIS 

The  Six  Nations  were  originally  the  Five  Nations, 
and  were  composed  of  the  Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onondagas, 
Cayugas  and  Senecas.  But  in  the  year  1712,  the  Tuscaro- 
ras  came  north  from  South  Carolina,  and  begged  the  privi 
lege  of  "spreading  their  blankets"  among  the  Five  Nations. 
This  was  granted  them,  and  they  were  given  land  between 
the  Onondagas  and  Cayugas,  but  were  never  allowed  to 
send  a  sachem  to  the  council  fires  of  their  imperious 
protectors.  The  English  called  the  league  the  "Six 
Nations."  The  French  called  them  the  "Iroquois"  and 
the  Dutch,  "mingoes."  Their  own  name  for  their  league 
was  "Ho-do-no-sau-nee."  "The  People  of  the  Long 
House."  They  were  almost  constantly  at  war  with  the 
Hurons  upon  the  North,  and  the  Delawares  upon  the 
South,  and  their  conquests  extended  north  into  Canada, 
and  as  far  westward  as  the  Mississippi  River.  At  the 
zenith  of  their  power  they  numbered  about  25,000  people, 
and  held  dominion  over  all  the  land  of  what  is  now  in 
New  York  State,  with  the  exception  of  a  strip  west  of  the 
Genesee  River. 

The  Mohawks  were  the  door-keepers  upon  the  east, 
while  the  Senecas  guarded  the  western  door  of  the  "long 
house." 


16  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

At  the  time  of  Sullivan's  Expedition  they  had  reached 
a  high  state  of  civilization,  and  lived  in  well  built,  and 
painted  log  houses.  Their  villages  were  surrounded  by 
large  fields  of  corn,  squashes,  water-melons,  beans,  cucum 
bers,  etc.,  besides  large  orchards  of  apple  and  peach  trees. 
Some  of  the  orchards  contained  as  many  as  twelve  hundred 
trees,  and  were  of  great  age,  having  been  planted  by  the 
Jesuit  Fathers,  a  century  before.  At  the  time  of  which 
we  write,  Joseph  Brant,  was  the  great  war-chief  of  the 
Six  Nations,  arid  he  led  his  dusky  followers  on  many  a 
murderous  raid,  but  it  is  not  known  for  certain  that  he  was 
in  command  of  the  Indians  at  Cherry  Valley.  He  was  a 
highly  civilized  Indian  and  well  educated.  In  his  old  age 
he  translated  the  Bible  into  the  Mohawk  tongue.  He 
died  at  a  good  old  age,  on  his  estate  in  Canada.  He  was 
a  brother-in-law  of  *Sir  William  Johnson,  his  sister 
(Molly),  being  Sir  William's  squaw-wife.  The  principal 
though  not  the  largest  village  of  the  Senecas,  was  Kanada- 
saga,  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Geneva, 
N.  Y.  It  contained  about  50  well  built  houses,  and  was 
surrounded  by  large  orchards  of  apple  and  peach  trees. 
The  burial  mound  of  the  Senecas,  at  this  place,  can  still 
be  seen. 

When  the  army  reached  here,  about  sundown  of  Sept. 
7th,  they  found  the  town  deserted  by  the  Indians,  (they 
having  fled  to  Kanandaigua,  sixteen  miles  farther  west) 
and  not  a  living  thing  in  sight,  except  a  male  white  child, 
about  three  years  old.  General  Sullivan  took  a  personal 
interest  in  the  little  waif  and  had  it  placed  in  a  large 
basket  on  a  pack-horse  load.  It  shared  all  the  vicissitudes 
of  the  campaign,  and  was  afterwards  taken  to  New 


*NOTE.     Sir  William  Johnson,  the  founder  of  Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  and  his  Ma 
jesty's  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  for  North  America. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  17 

Windsor,  New  York,  where  it  soon  died  of  the  smallpox, 
no  clue  to  its  identity  was  ever  discovered,  but  it  was 
doubtless  the  offspring  of  some  unhappy  captive.  Sulli 
van's  raid  broke  forever  the  power  of  the  Iroquois,  who, 
as  allies  of  the  British,  constantly  harassed  the  patriots 
of  Central  New  York.  The  redskins  were  the  most 
dreaded  enemy  the  colonists  had  to  reckon  with  in  the 
war  for  our  independence,  for  they  had  respect  for  neither 
the  helplessness  of  WTomen  and  children,  nor  the  infirmities 
of  age.  Often  as  he  hurried  to  war  did  the  patriot  shud 
der  at  the  thought  of  what  might  happen  to  his  loved  ones 
in  his  absence.  Only  too  frequently  were  his  worst  fears 
realized  as  he  returned  to  find  his  home  in  ashes,  and  his 
wife  and  children  killed,  or  carried  into  captivity.  In 
the  month  of  July,  1778,  the  beautiful  valley  of  Wyoming 
was  laid  waste,  and  on  Sunday  morning,  the  llth  of 
November,  1778,  the  horrible  massacre  of  Cherry  Valley 
was  perpetrated,  when  the  Indians  under  the  leadership 
of  the  famous  Mohawk  chief,  Joseph  Brant  (?)  (Thayend- 
anegea  was  his  Indian  name)  and  the  Tories,  under  the 
command  of  that  fiend  in  human  form,  Colonel  Walter 
Butler,  descended  upon  this  thrifty  settlement  (which 
was  founded  in  1740)  and  murdered  the  men,  women  and 
children,  regardless  of  age  or  sex. 

It  was  then  that  Washington  with  martial  ardor, 

Called  Sullivan  in  haste  to  go, 

And  cross  the  Indian's  forest  border, 

And  lay  his  field  and  orchards  low. 

For  the  Iroquois  had  lighted, 
A  thousand  fires  of  hate  and  scorn, 
From  Cherry  Valley's  homes  affrighted, 
To  fair  Wyoming's  vale  forlorn." 

It  was  Washington's  intention  to  offer  the  command 
of  this  Expedition  to  Major  General  Horatio  Gates,  as 


18  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

will  be  seen  by  a  perusal  of  the  following  letter  from 
Washington  to  the  President  of  Congress : 

(LETTER  OF  GENERAL  WASHINGTON.  TO  THE  PRESIDENT 

OF  CONGRESS,  APRIL  14TH,  1779) 

"The  plan  of  operations  for  the  campaign  being  deter 
mined,  a  commanding  officer  was  to  be  appointed  for 
the  Indian  Expedition.  This  command,  according  to 
all  present  appearances,  will  probably  be  of  the  second, 
if  not  of  the  first,  importance  for  the  campaign.  The 
officer  conducting  it  has  a  flattering  prospect  of  acquiring 
more  credit  than  can  be  expected  by  any  other  this  year; 
and  he  has  the  best  reason  to  hope  for  success. 

Gen.  Lee,  from  his  situation,  was  out  of  the  question; 
Gen.  Schuyler  was  so  uncertain  of  continuing  in  the  army, 
that  I  could  not  appoint  him;  Gen.  Putnam  I  need  not 
mention.  I  therefore  make  the  offer  of  it,  for  the  appoint 
ment  could  no  longer  be  delayed,  to  Gen.  Gates,  who  was 
next  in  seniority,  though,  perhaps,  I  might  have  avoided 
it,  if  I  had  been  so  disposed,  from  his  being  in  a  command 
by  the  special  appointment  of  Congress.  My  letter  to 
him  on  the  occasion,  I  believe  you  will  think  was  con 
ceived  in  very  candid  and  polite  terms,  and  that  it  merited 
a  different  answer  from  the  one  given  to  it. 

G.  WASHINGTON." 

— But  General  Gates  refused  the  command  of  the 
expedition  for  the  reasons  stated  in  the  following  reply 
to  Washington's  letter,  offering  him  the  appointment. 

Lieut.  General  Washington: 
Dear  Sir: 

"Last  night  I  had  the  honor  of  your  Excellency's  let 
ter.  The  man  who  undertakes  the  Indian  service, 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  19 

should  enjoy  youth  and  strength',  requisites  I  do  not  possess. 
It  therefore  grieves  me  that  your  Excellency  should 
offer  me  the  only  command  to  which  I  am  entirely  unequal. 
In  obedience  to  your  command,  I  have  forwarded  your 
letter  to  Gen.  Sullivan,  etc. 

HORATIO  GATES,  M.  G. 


The  letter  from  Washington  to  Sullivan  which  Gen. 
Gates  referred  to  in  the  above  letter,  ran  as  follows : 

"HEADQUARTERS,  MIDDLE  BROOK, 
March  6th,  1779. 
Major  General  Sullivan: 
Dear  Sir : 

Congress  having  determined  upon  an  Expedition  against 
the  hostile  tribes  of  the  Indians  of  the  Six  Nations,  the 
command  is  offered  to  Maj.  Gen.  Gates  as  Senior  officer, 
but  should  he  decline,  it  is  my  wish  it  should  devolve 
upon  you.  That  no  time  may  be  lost  by  General  Gates' 
nonacceptance,  I  have  put  this  letter  under  cover  to  him, 
and  have  desired  him  to  forward  it  to  you,  should  that  be 
his  determination.  Should  it  therefore  be  sent  to  you 
I  must  request  you  to  set  out,  as  speedily  as  possible 
after  the  rec't  of  it,  to  Head  Quarters,  as  the  season  is 
already  far  advanced.  Upon  your  arrival,  the  whole 
plan  of  the  Expedition  shall  be  communicated  to  you, 
and  measures  concerted  for  carrying  it  into  execution. 
Nothing  will  contribute  more  to  our  success  in  the  quarter 
where  we  really  intend  to  strike,  than  alarming  the  enemy 
in  a  contrary  one,  and  drawing  their  attention  that  way. 
To  do  this,  you  may  drop  hints  of  an  Expedition  to  Canada 
by  the  way  of  Coos.  This  will  be  more  readily  believed, 
as  a  thing  of  that  kind  was  really  once  in  agitation,  and 


20  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

some  Magazines  formed  in  consequence,  which  the  enemy 
are  acquainted  with.  You  may  also  speak  of  the  probabil 
ity  of  a  French  Fleet  making  its  appearance,  in  the  Spring, 
in  the  river  St.  Lawrence  to  co-operate  with  us.  It  will 
be  a  great  point  gained  if  we  can,  by  false  alarms,  keep 
the  force  already  in  Canada  from  affording  any  timely 
assistance  to  the  Savages,  refugees  and  those  people 
against  whom  the  blow  is  leveled.  I  would  wish  you  to 
keep  the  motive  of  your  journey  to  Head  Quarters  a 
secret,  because  if  it  is  known  that  an  officer  of  your  rank 
is  to  take  a  command  to  the  westward,  it  will  be  im 
mediately  concluded  that  the  object  must  be  considerable. 
I  am,  with  great  regard,  Dear  Sir, 

Your  most  Obedient  Servant, 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON." 
"Major  General  Sullivan." 

The  command  of  the  expedition  having  been  refused 
by  General  Gates  was  promptly  accepted  by  General 
Sullivan,  but  the  plans  for  carrying  it  on  was  not  agree 
able  to  his  mind,  nor  was  the  number  of  men  destined 
for  it  sufficient,  in  his  opinion,  to  insure  its  success.  He 
had,  early  in  April,  1779,  received  from  the  heads  of  the 
quartermaster,  and  commissary  departments,  assurances 
that  everything  would  be  in  a  perfect  state  of  readiness 
upon  his  arrival  at  Easton,  Pa.,  where  the  main  army  was 
mobilized,  but  on  his  arrival  there  he  was  informed  by 
Brigadier  General  Edward  Hand  (who  then  commanded 
at  that  post),  that  there  was  not  the  least  prospect  of  the 
boats  or  stores  being  in  readiness  in  season.  Bancroft,  in 
his  history  of  the  United  States,  says  that  if  Sullivan  had 
not  spent  his  time  "writing  strange  theological  essays" 
the  expedition  would  have  gotten  under  way  sooner. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  21 

Now  such  a  statement  is  absurd.  While  he  was  a  man  of 
a  high  order  of  intellect,  and  could,  doubtless,  have  writ 
ten  theological  essays,  had  he  been  so  inclined,  it  is 
ridiculous  to  think  that  a  man  of  his  sound  common 
sense,  would  have  wasted  his  time  in  doing  so,  and  more 
over  at  a  time  when  his  entire  attention  was  occupied 
with  military  affairs.  Bancroft  also  says  that  "Sullivan 
was  so  puffed  up  with  the  honors  of  command  that  it 
was  almost  out  of  the  question  to  deal  with  him."  While 
it  is  true  that  he  had  a  slight  streak  of  vanity  and  conceit 
in  his  nature,  he  was  not  a  man  to  be  puffed  up  with  the 
honors  of  command  for  it  was  not  the  first  time  that  he  had 
had  such  honors.  There  were  no  theological  writings 
found  among  General  Sullivan's  papers,  after  his  death, 
and  I  do  not  believe  that  he  ever  wrote  any.  It  was  the 
fault  of  Congress  alone  that  the  army  did  not  get  started 
sooner  than  it  did.  Lieut.  Colonel  Adam  Hubley,  in  his 
journal,  says :  "Whilst  I  revere  the  merit  and  virtue  of  the 
army  I  am  sorry  I  am  under  the  necessity  of  mentioning 
that  there  was  an  unparalleled  and  unpardonable  neglect 
(and  which  ought  not  to  pass  with  impunity),  in  those 
whose  business  it  was  to  supply  them  (the  army)  with  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  necessaries  to  carry  them  through 
the  expedition,  instead  of  which  not  more  than  22  days 
flour,  and  16  days  meat  was  on  hand  when  it  commenced." 
The  Executive  Counsel^' of  Pennsylvania  agreed  to 
furnish  700  rangers  and  riflemen,  and  the  President  of 
Pennsylvania  (Reed),  promised  that  they  would  be  ready 
in  season,  but  not  a  man  of  them  joined  the  army.  The 
reason  for  this  was,  that  the  quarter-master  offered  such 
good  wages  to  boatmen  that  they  all  enlisted  into  the 
boat  service,  but  this  was  a  mistake,  for  they  had  scarcely 
a  hundred  boatmen  engaged  for  the  army,  and  only  42 


22  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

pack-horsemen,  so  that  Sullivan  was  obliged  to  draft 
900  for  boatmen  and  pack-horsemen. 

This  reduced  the  army  to  1,412  men,  and  from  these 
he  had  to  deduct  150  for  cattle  drivers  and  for  the  artillery, 
which  left  him  only  1,262  men,  and  more  than  a  third  of 
them  were  without  a  shirt  to  their  backs.  With  this 
force  he  was  expected  to  advance  against  an  enemy  which 
was  allowed  to  be  2,000  strong,  and  who  had  been  lately 
reenforced  with  700  British  troops  from  Canada.  In  a 
letter  to  Congress  sent  from  Wyoming  late  in  July,  1779, 
General  Sullivan  said:  "I  need  not  mention  that  it  is 
easy  for  the  enemy  to  act  with  their  whole  force  against 
either  part  of  our  army  before  the  junction  with  Clinton 
is  formed,  and  that  common  prudence  will  prompt  to 
this.  I  have,  therefore,  nothing  to  rely  on  but  the  ardor 
and  well  known  bravery  of  my  troops,  which  I  trust 
will  surmount  all  opposition,  but  should  a  defeat  take 
place,  and  the  ruin  of  the  army  be  the  consequence, 
whether  I  do  or  not  perish  in  the  action,  I  call  upon  the 
members  of  Congress  to  witness  to  the  world  that  I  early 
foresaw  and  foretold  the  danger,  and  used  every  means 
in  my  power  to  secure  a  force  sufficient  to  insure  success, 
but  failed  to  obtain  it." 

Following  is  a  complete  roster  of  officers  of  Sullivan's 
division,  divided  into  brigades  and  regiments.  The  4th 
brigade  1,600  strong,  under  the  command  of  Brigadier 
General  James  Clinton,  started  in  the  Mohawk  Valley 
to  join  Sullivan  at  Tioga  Point  (now  Athens,  Pa.).  His 
march  was  through  an  unbroken  wilderness.  As  there 
were  no  roads,  their  provisions  were  loaded  in  boats  and 
floated  up  the  small  streams,  and  there  the  freight,  boats 
and  all,  were  carried  by  the  men  to  the  headwaters  of 
another  stream.  They  had  little  trouble  until  they  reached 


GENERAL   WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  23 

Otsego  Lake,  and  from  this  point  they  expected  less  as  the 
outlet  of  the  lake  formed  the  Susquehanna  River.  But 
the  weather  was  hot  and  for  many  weeks  there  had  been 
no  rain.  The  river  had  not  water  enough  to  float  the 
boats  and  for  a  time  Clinton  thought  he  would  be  obliged 
to  turn  back,  but  just  as  he  was  about  to  give  up  in  despair, 
he  hit  upon  a  scheme  which  promised  success.  He  caused 
a  dam  to  be  built  across  the  Susquehanna,  just  where  it 
flows  out  of  Lake  Otsego.  His  soldiers  rolled  in  great 
boulders  from  the  fields  and  filled  the  spaces  between  with 
brush  and  clay  so  the  water  could  not  flow  out  freely. 
This  caused  the  lake  to  rise,  and  in  three  weeks  it  was  six 
feet  above  its  summer  level.  The  boats  were  then  made 
ready  with  the  provisions  and  men  aboard,  and  the  dam 
was  torn  down.  The  waters  flooded  the  banks  of  the  nar 
row  stream  and  the  whole  brigade  was  carried  down  to 
the  place  of  meeting  with  Sullivan  in  safety. 

The  Indians  along  the  stream  saw  this  sudden  rise  of 
the  waters  and  they  were  much  frightened,  no  rain  had 
fallen  in  weeks,  and  the  only  way  they  could  account  for 
it  was  that  the  Great  Spirit  had  sent  the  waters  to  help 
the  pale  faces,  and  they  fled  in  the  greatest  alarm. 

General  Clinton  did  not  meet  one  armed  enemy,  and 
after  the  junction  of  his  brigade  with  the  rest  of  Sullivan's 
division,  the  combined  army  numbered  about  4,000  men, 
and 

It  was  soon  to  be  tested 

Whether  the  proud  Indian  league, 

Would  at  its  savage  pleasure 

Loose  or  bind,  the  lightnings  of 

Its  burnished  tomahawk. 


CHAPTER  II 

ROSTER   OF   OFFICERS   OF   SULLIVAN'S   DIVISION,    1779 

General  Commanding,  and  Staff 
Major-General  John  Sullivan,  Commander-in-Chief 
William  Pierce, 


Captain  Jonathan  Dayton, 

.,  .  Aides. 

Major  Adam  Hoop, 

Nicholas  Van  Cortlandt, 

Col.  C.  Sheriff,  Dep.  Adjt.  General. 

Lieut.  Col.  Francis  Barber,  Adjutant  General. 

Col.  Robert  Hooper,  Dep.  Con.  of  Transportation. 

Col.  Bryan  Bruen,  Private  Secty.  to  Gen.  Sullivan. 

Col.  John  Steele,  Commissary  General. 

Rev.  Samuel  Kirkland,  Chaplain. 

Capt.  Daniel  Taphan,  Con.  of  Militia  Stores. 

Lieut.  Benjamin  Lodge,  Surveyor. 

John  Woodman,  Asst.  Commissary  General. 

Col.  Henry  Antie,  Conductor  of  Boats. 

James  Cook,  Express  rider. 

Dr.  Hagan,  Surgeon-in-Chief. 

Mr.  Brenion,  Issuing   Con.    to   Commander-in-chief. 

Capt.  John  Franklin, 

Jehaikim,  (Indian)          ? Guides. 

Lieut.  John  Genkins,      J 

Lieut.  Robert  Pemberton,  Judge  Advocate. 

FIRST  BRIGADE 
New  Jersey  Troops 
William  Maxwell,  Brigadier  General. 
Andrew  Hunter,  Chaplain. 

24 


GENERAL   WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  25 

Aaron  Ogden,  Aide-de-Camp,  and  Captain. 

John  Ross,  Brigadier  Major. 

Nathan  Wilkinson,  Quartermaster. 

Matthias  Ogden,  Colonel  1st  N.  J.  Regiment. 

Israel  Sherene,  Colonel  2d  N.  J.  Regiment. 

Oliver  Spencer,  Spencer's  Regiment. 

Detachment  of  Cavalry,  from  E.  Sheldon's  Regiment. 

Elias  Dayton,  Colonel  3d  N.  J.  Regiment. 

First  New  Jersey  Regiment 
Matthias  Ogden,  Colonel, 
David  Brearley,  Lieut.  Colonel, 
Daniel  Piatt,  Major, 
Jacob  Piatt,  Capt.  Lieut,  and  Adjutant, 


Ephriam  Whitlock,  Adjutant, 

Peter  Trott,  2d  Lieut,  and  Quartermaster, 

Cyrus  Ewing,  Surgeon, 

Cyrus  D'Hart,  1st  Lieut,  and  Paymaster, 

Stephen  Ball,  Surgeon's  Mate, 

Jonathan  Farnan,  Captain. 

Giles  Mead,  Captain. 

Alexander  Mitchell,  Captain. 

Peter  Van  Voorhies,  Captain  and  Paymaster. 

John  Holmes,  Captain. 

Aaron  Ogden,  Captain. 

William  Piatt,  Lieutenant. 

John  Hamell,  Lieutenant. 

William  Barton,  Lieutenant. 

Absalom  Martin,  Lieutenant. 

Ephriam  Whitlock,  Lieutenant. 

Eben  Burrows,  Lieutenant. 

Johnathan  Snowden,  Lieutenant. 

Absalom  Bonham,  2d  Lieutenant. 


Staff. 


Staff. 


26  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

Samuel  Seeley,  Lieutenant. 
Silas  Parrat,  Lieutenant. 
John  Bishop,  Ensign. 
Aaron  Rhea,  Ensign. 
John  Geary,  Ensign. 
Asher  Levy,  Ensign. 

Second  New  Jersey  Regiment 
Israel  Shreve,  Colonel, 
William  D'Hart,  Lieutenant  Colonel, 
John  Ross,  Major, 

Luther  Halsey,  Adjutant  and  First  Lieutenant 
Derrick  Lane,  Quartermaster  and  2d  Lieut. 
John  Peck,  Paymaster  and  Lieutenant, 
Ebenezer  Elmer,  Surgeon, 
Moses  G.  Elmer,  Surgeon's  Mate, 
John  N.  Cummings,  Captain. 
Samuel  Reading,  Captain. 
Johnathan  Phillips,  Captain. 
Samuel  Henry,  Captain. 
Nathaniel  Bowman,  Captain. 
William  Helms,  Captain. 
Abraham  Appleton,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Samuel  Conn,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Samuel  Naglee,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Abel  Weyman,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Demick  Lane,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Samuel  M.  Sheete,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Jona  Rhea,  2d  Lieutenant. 

John  Shreve  (son  of  Col.  J.  Shreve),  2d  Lieutenant. 
Benajah  Osmun,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Joseph  Buck,  Ensign. 
George  Walker,  Ensign. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  27 

Third  New  Jersey  Regiment 
Elias  Dayton,  Colonel. 
John  Conway,  Lieut.  Colonel. 
John  Hollinshead,  Major. 
Joseph  I.  Anderson,  Paymaster  and  Captain. 
Samuel  Shippard,  Adj.  and  First  Lieutenant. 
Ephraim  Darboy,  Quartermaster  and  1st  Lieutenant. 
Lewis  F.  Dunham,  Surgeon. 
Robert  Henry,  Surgeon. 
Ephraim  Tarring,  Surgeon's  Mate. 
Wm.  Giffard,  Captain. 
Richard  Cox,  Captain. 
Jeremiah  Ballard,  Captain. 
Joseph  I.  Anderson,  Captain. 
Seth  Johnson,  Captain. 
Nathaniel  Teanard,  1st  Lieutenant. 
John  Reed,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Nathan  Wilkinson,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Edward  D.  Thomas,  1st  Lieutenant. 
John  Rencastle,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Benjamin  Horn,  1st  Lieutenant. 
John  Blair,  1st  Lieutenant. 
William  Kersey,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Jarvis  Bloomfield,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Wessel  F  Stout,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Jas.  Rodgers,  Ensign. 
Jas.  DeCamp,  Ensign. 

Spencer's  New  Jersey  Regiment 
Oliver  Spencer,  Colonel. 
William  S.  Smith,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
Peter  Taulman,  Adjutant  and  Lieutenant. 
John  Sanford,  Paymaster. 


28  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

William  Beach,  Quartermaster. 

Jabez  Campfield,  Surgeon. 

John  Darcy,  Surgeon's  Mate. 

John  McEmen,  Ensign  and  Quartermaster. 

John  Burrows,  Captain. 

Michael  Erickson,  Sargent  in  Capt.  Burrowes  Co. 

James  Broaderick,  Captain. 

Benjamin  Weatherby,  Captain. 

John  Sanford,  Captain. 

Nathaniel  Town,  Captain. 

Abraham  Neely,  Captain. 

James  Bonnel,  Captain. 

John  Combs,  Captain. 

William  Beach,  Captain  Lieutenant. 

William  Bull,  Lieutenant. 

TJgal  Meeker,  Lieutenant. 

Finch  Gildersleeve,  Lieutenant. 

David  Kirkpatrick,  Lieutenant. 

Anthony  Maxwell,  Lieutenant. 

John  Stagg,  Lieutenant. 

John  Orr,  Lieutenant. 

Robert  Pemberton,  Lieutenant. 

Peter  Farnham,  Lieutenant. 

John  Reed,  Ensign. 

SECOND  BRIGADE 
New  Hampshire  Troops 
Enoch  Poor,  Brigadier  General. 
Jeremiah  Fogg,  Aide-de-Camp. 
Elihu  Marshall,  Brigade  Major. 
Rev.  Israel  Evans,  Brigade  Chaplain. 
Col.  Joseph  Silley,  1st  New  Hampshire  Regiment. 
Lieut.  Col.  George  Reed,  2d  New  Hampshire  Regiment. 


GENERAL   WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  29 

Lieut.  Col.  Henry  Dearborn,  3d  New  Hampshire  Reg. 
Major  Daniel  Whiting,  6th  Massachusetts  Regiment. 
*Col.  Phillip  Van  Cortlandt,  2d  New  York  Regiment. 

First  New  Hampshire  Regiment 
Joseph  Silley,  Colonel. 
Jeremiah  Gilman,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
William  Scott,  Major. 

Jeremiah  Pritchard,  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant. 
Benjamin  Kimball,  Captain  and  Paymaster. 
Johnathan  Willard,  Lieutenant  and  Quartermaster. 
Thomas  Blake,  2d  Lieutenant  and  Paymaster. 
Joseph  Mills,  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant. 
John  Hale,  Surgeon. 
Amos  Morrill,  Captain. 
Jason  Wait,  Captain. 
Amos  Emerson,  Captain. 
Ebenezer  Frye,  Captain. 
Isaac  Farwell,  Captain. 
Nathaniel  Hutchings,  Captain. 
Simon  Sartwell,  Captain  and  Lieutenant. 
Moody  Dustin,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Nathaniel  McCauley,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Josiah  Monroe,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Daniel  Clapp,  Lieutenant. 
William  Hutchins,  Lieutenant. 
Asa  Senter,  Lieutenant. 
Bazabeel  Howe,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Simeon  Morrill,  2d  Lieutenant. 

*Transf erred  to  4th  Brigade  Aug.,  1779. 

NOTE — It  was  this  brigade  that  bore  the  brunt  of  the  decisive 
battle  of  Newtown,  fought  on  Sunday,  August  29th,  1779.  All  of 
the  killed,  and  most  of  the  wounded,  were  New  Hampshire  men. 


30  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

Johnathan  Perkins,  Ensign. 
Joshua  Thompson,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Hubbard  Carter,  Ensign. 
Samuel  Thompson,  Ensign. 

Second  New  Hampshire  Regiment 
George  Reed,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
Benjamin  Titcomb,  Major. 
Richard  Braum,  Quartermaster. 
William  M.  Bell,  Adjutant. 
Jeremiah  Fogg,  Paymaster  and  Captain. 
Robert  Q.  Henry,  Surgeon. 
Rev.  Ira  Evans,  Chaplain. 
Caleb  Robinson,  Captain. 
Janez  Carr,  Captain. 
Elijah  Clayes,  Captain. 
William  Rowell,  Captain. 
Moses  Dustin,  Captain. 
Enoch  Chase,  Captain. 
George  Aldrich,  Captain. 
Samuel  Cherry,  Captain  Lieutenant. 
Michael  Hait,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Ebenezer  Light,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Noah  Robinson,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Joseph  Potter,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Pelatiah  Whittemar,  1st  Lieutenant. 
James  Nichols,  1st  Lieutenant. 
George  P.  Frost,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Luke  Woodbury,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Samuel  Adams,  2d  Lieutenant. 
William  Taggert,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Thomas  Tyford,  2d  Lieutenant. 
James  Butterfield,  2d  Lieutenant. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  31 

Joshua  Merrom,  Ensign. 
Daniel  Gookim,  Ensign. 
Caleb  Blodgett,  Ensign. 
Geo.  Burnham,  Ensign. 
Wm.  Twombley,  Ensign. 
Thomas  Callis,  Ensign. 

Third  New  Hampshire  Regiment. 
Henry  Dearborn,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
James  Norris,  Major. 
Nicholas  Gilman,  Captain  and  Adjutant. 
Joseph  Boynton,  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant. 
Joseph  Blanchard,  2d  Lieutenant  and  Paymaster. 
John  Hovey,  Ensign  and  Quartermaster. 
Jacob  Hall,  Surgeon. 
Mark  Howe,  Surgeon. 
Israel  Evans,  Brigade  Chaplain. 
Daniel  Livermore,  Captain. 
Isaac  Frye,  Captain. 
Wm.  Ellis,  Captain. 
David  McGregor,  Captain. 
Wm.  A.  Hawkins,  Captain. 
Thomas  Simpson,  Captain. 
John  Dennitt,  Lieutenant. 
Benjamin  Ellis,  Lieutenant. 
Abner,  Peminan,  Lieutenant. 
Johnathan  Cass,  Lieutenant. 
Dudley  T.  Chase,  Lieutenant. 
Nathaniel  Hoit,  Lieutenant. 
Nathaniel  Teanitt,  Lieutenant. 
Johna  Cilley,  Ensign. 
Archibald  Stark,  Ensign. 
Nathan  Weare,  Ensign. 


32  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

Neal  McGaffey,  Ensign. 
Moses  Page,  Ensign. 
Bradbury  Richards,  Ensign. 

Sixth  Massachusetts  Regiment 
(Alden's) 

Daniel  Whiting,  Major. 

William  White,  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant. 

James  Lunt,  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant. 

William  McKundry,  Lieutenant  and  Quartermaster. 

Ezekiel  Braun,  Surgeon. 

Francis  DeBar,  Surgeon's  Mate. 

Joseph  Tucker,  Ensign  and  Paymaster. 

Asa  Coburn,  Captain. 

Luke  Day,  Captain. 

Benjamin  Warren,  Captain. 

John  Reed,  Captain. 

Daniel  Lane,  Captain. 

Jonas  Parker,  Captain  Lieutenant. 

James  Lunt,  Captain  Lieutenant. 

Samuel  Buffington,  Lieutenant. 

Robert  Givens,  Lieutenant. 

Elijah  Day,  Lieutenant. 

William  Curtis,  Lieutenant. 

Eliphalet  Thorp,  Lieutenant. 

Stephen  Carter,  Lieutenant. 

Ebenezer  Peabody,  Lieutenant. 

Luther  Trobridge,  Lieutenant. 

Richard  Baynall,  Ensign. 

Levi  Parker,  Ensign. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  33 

THIRD  BRIGADE 
Pennsylvania  Troops 

Edward  Hand,  Brigadier  General. 

Jonathan  Snowden,  Aide-de-Camp  and  Lieutenant. 

Capt.  Wm.  Sprout,  Aide-de-Camp  and  Brigade  Major. 

Rev.  Wm.  Rogers,  D.D.,  Chaplain. 

John  Van  Anglin,  Commissary. 

William  Kinnerly,  Surgeon. 

Lieut.  Col.  Wm.  Butler,  4th  Pennsylvania  Regiment. 

Lieut.  Col.  Adam  Hibley,  llth  Pennsylvania  Regiment. 

Major  Dan'l  Burghardt,  Pennsylvania  Gernons. 

Col.  Thomas  Proctor,  Artillery  Regiment. 

Major  James  Parr,  Morgan's  Riflemen. 

Capt.  Anthony  Selin,  Schott's  Rifle  Corps. 

Capt.  John  Franklin,  Wyoming  Militia. 

Capt.  Simon  Spalding,  Independent  Wyoming  Company. 

Fourth  Pennsylvania  Regiment 

Wm.  Butler,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 

Thomas  Church,  Major. 

George  Bass,  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant. 

Erkuries  Beatty,  Lieutenant  and  Paymaster. 

Peter  Sumers,  Lieutenant  and  Quartermaster. 

Charles  McCarter,  Surgeon. 

George  Tudor,  Captain. 

William  Gray,  Captain. 

Henry  Booker,  Jr.,  Captain. 

Wm.  Henderson,  Captain. 

Wm.  Cross,  Captain. 

Garret  Stediford,  Lieutenant. 


34  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

Wilder  Bevins,  Lieutenant. 
Matthew  Polon,  Lieutenant. 
John  Pratt,  Lieutenant. 
Henry  Henley,  Lieutenant. 
Andrew  Henderson,  Ensign. 
Nathaniel  Smith,  Ensign. 

Eleventh  Pennsylvania  Regiment 
Adam  Hubley,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
Evan  Edwards,  Major. 
George  Bush,  Captain  and  Paymaster. 
William  Husten,  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant. 
John  Mahan,  Lieutenant  and  Quartermaster. 
Thomas  Wiggins,  Surgeon. 
Lawrence  Keene,  Captain. 
Andrew  Walker,  Captain. 
Abraham  G.  Claypole,  Captain. 
Isaac  Sweeney,  Captain. 
Henry  Carbury,  Captain. 
Jeremiah  Jackson,  Captain  Lieutenant. 
Edward  Burke,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Septimus  Davis,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Wm.  McCurdy,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Wm.  Lennon,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Jonas  Pettigrew,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Benjamin  Street,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Samuel  Morrison,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Jacob  Weitzel,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Robert  Allison,  Ensign. 
Samuel  Reed,  Ensign. 
Henry  Burley,  Ensign. 
Francis  Thornbury,  Ensign. 
William  Huston,  Ensign. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  35 

German  Battalion 
Daniel  Burchardt,  Major. 
Peter  Boyer,  Captain  and  Paymaster. 
Jacob  Royboldt,  Ensign  and  Quartermaster. 
John  Weidman,  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant. 
Peter  Peres,  Surgeon. 
Jacob  Bummer,  Captain. 
Frederick  Wm.  Rice,  Captain. 
Bernard  Hubley,  Captain. 
Philip  Schramcher,  Captain  Lieutenant. 
Jacob  Crenes,  Lieutenant. 
Christian  G.  Swartz,  Lieutenant. 
David  Dieffenderfer,  Ensign. 
Christian  Cleekner,  Ensign. 

Artillery  Regiment 

Nine  Pieces 

fThomas  Proctor,  Colonel. 
Thomas  Forrest,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
William  Adams,  Surgeon. 
Isaac  Craig,  Captain. 
Joseph  Rice,  Captain. 
Francis  Proctor,  Captain. 
John  Brice,  Captain. 
Robert  Caltman,  Captain. 
Patrick  Duffy,  Captain  Lieutenant. 
Warsley  Eves,  Captain  Lieutenant. 

NOTE — There  were  131  fifers  and  drummers  in  Sullivan's  army, 
including  what  was  known  as  "Colonel  Proctor's  Band  of  Music." 


36  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

Morgan's  Riflemen 

One  Battalion 
James  Parr,  Major. 
Michael  Simpson,  Captain. 

Thomas  Boyd,  Lieutenant.     Massacred  Sept.  13,  1779. 
Benjamin  Chambers,  Ensign. 

Independent  Rifle  Company 
Anthony  Selin,  Captain. 
Lawrence  Myers,  Lieutenant. 
Christian  Fraelich,  Lieutenant. 

Wyoming  Militia 
John  Franklin,  Captain. 

Independent  Wyoming  Company 
Simon  Spalding,  Captain. 
John  Jenkins,  Lieutenant. 

FOURTH  BRIGADE 
/    / 

New  York  Troops 

James  Clinton,  Brigadier  General. 

Rev.  John  Gano,  Chaplain. 

John  Pratt,  Assistant  Commissary  of  Issues. 

William  Popham,  Aide-de-Camp. 

Capt.  Leonard  Bleecker,    )  Brigade  Majors  and  Inspec- 

Major  Nicholas  Fish,         )      tors. 

Dr.  Stephen  McCrea,  Brigade  Surgeon. 

Col.  Philip  Van  Cortlandt,  2d  New  York  Regiment. 

Col.  Peter  Gansevoort,  3d  New  York  Regiment. 

Lieut.  Col.  Frederick  Weissenfele,  4th  N.  Y.  Regiment. 

Col.  Lemie  Dufois,  5th  New  York  Regiment. 

Volunteer  Corps,  under  Col.  John  Harper  as  Captain. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  37 

Second  New  York  Regiment 
Philip  Van  Cortlandt,  Colonel. 
Peine  Regnier,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
Nicholas  Fish,  Major. 

Charles  Nukerk,  Adjutant  and  Captain  Lieutenant. 
William  Mundy,  Quartermaster  and  1st  Lieutenant. 
Tunis  Van  Wagener,  Quartermaster  and  2d  Lieutenant. 
Robert  Provoost,  Paymaster  and  Ensign. 
Daniel  Minena,  Surgeon. 
Charles  Graham,  Captain. 
Samuel  F.  Pell,  Captain. 
Jacob  Wright,  Captain. 
Jonathan  Hallet,  Captain. 
Abner  French,  Captain. 
James  Fairlie,  Lieutenant. 
Elihu  Marshall,  Lieutenant. 
Gilbert  I.  Livingston,  Lieutenant. 
Charles  F.  Wussenfole,  Lieutenant. 
fJohn  L.  Hardenbergh,  Lieutenant. 
Tjerek  Beekman,  Lieutenant. 
Andrew  White,  Lieutenant. 
William  L.  Lenny,  Lieutenant. 
Bernardus  Swarthout,  Ensign. 
John  Braunn,  Ensign. 

Third  New  York  Regiment 
Peter  Gansevoort,  Colonel. 
Marinus  Willett,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
Robert  Cochran,  Major. 


NOTE — In  the  year  1790,  Lieut.  John  L.  Hardenbergh  founded 
the  settlement  of  Hardenbergh 's  Corners,  which  afterwards  became 
the  village  (now  city)  of  Auburn,  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y. 


38  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

Christopher  Hutton,  Adjutant  and  Lieutenant. 

Prentive  Boman,  Quartermaster  and  Lieutenant. 

Jeremiah  Van  Rensselare,  Paymaster  and  Ensign, 

Hemlock  Woodruff,  Surgeon. 

John  Elliott,  Surgeon's  Mate. 

Leonard  Bleecker,  Captain. 

Henry  Tiebout,  Captain. 

Thomas  DeWitt,  Captain. 

Cornelius  F.  Jason,  Captain. 

Aaron  Aarson,  Captain. 

George  Syteg,  Captain  Lieutenant. 

Wm.  Colbrath,  Lieutenant. 

William  Tapp,  Lieutenant. 

Philip  Conine,  Lieutenant. 

Gerrit  Staats,  Lieutenant. 

Thomas  McClellan,  Lieutenant. 

Benjamin  Bogardus,  Captain. 

Levi  Stockwell,  Captain. 

Josiah  Bay  ley,  Ensign. 

George  T.  Denniston,  Ensign. 

Samuel  Lewis,  Ensign. 

Peter  Magee,  Ensign. 

John  Spoor,  Ensign. 

D.  T.  Fonday,  Ensign. 

Benjamin  Herring,  Ensign. 

Gerrit  G.  Lansing,  Ensign. 

Fourth  New  York  Regiment 
Frederick  Weissenfels,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
Jos.  McCracken,  Major. 
Israel  Smith,  Paymaster  and  Captain. 
Peter  Elsworth,  Adjutant  and  Lieutenant. 
James  Barritt,  Quartermaster  and  Lieutenant. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  39 

John  F.  Vasche,  Surgeon. 

Saml.  Sackett,  Captain. 

John  Davis,  Captain. 

Jonathan  Titus,  Captain. 

Benjamin  Walker,  Captain. 

Nathaniel  Warton,  Captain. 

Theodosius  Famler,  Captain. 

Edward  Duscomb,  Captain  Lieutenant. 

Joseph  Frelick,  Lieutenant. 

Peter  Van  Bunschaten,  Lieutenant. 

Abraham  Hyatt,  Lieutenant. 

Rudolphus  Van  Houenburg,  Lieutenant. 

Thomas  Hunt,  Lieutenant. 

Silol  Gray,  Lieutenant. 

Daniel  Deniston,  Ensign. 

Azariah  Tuthill,  Ensign. 

Samuel  Talmadge,  Ensign. 

Ephraim  Woodruff,  Ensign. 

Fifth  New  York  Regiment 

Lewis  Dubois,  Colonel. 

Henry  Dubois,  Adjutant  and  Captain  Lieutenant. 

Henry  Dodge,  Adjutant  and  Lieutenant. 

Michael  Connally,  Paymaster  and  2d  Lieutenant. 

James  Johnston,  Quartermaster  and  Ensign. 

Samuel  Coope,  Surgeon. 

Eben  Hutchison,  Surgeon's  Mate. 

James  Rosekrans,  Captain. 

John  F.  Hamtrach,  Captain. 

John  Johnson,  Captain. 

Philip  Dubois  Bemis,  Captain. 

James  Stewart,  Captain. 


40  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

Henry  W.  Vanderburgh,  Lieutenant. 
Daniel  Birdsall,  2d  Lieutenant. 
James  Betts,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Barthol  Vanderburgh,  Ensign. 
Francis  Hanner,  Ensign. 

New  York  Artillery  Detachment 
(Col.  John  Lamb's  Regiment) 

Isiah  Wool,  Captain. 

Thomas  Machin,  Captain. 

Elisha  Harvey,  Lieutenant. 

End  of  Roster 

For  a  faithful  and  interesting  account  of  the  great 
march  of  "John  Sullivan  and  his  Men"  into  that  primeval 
wilderness, 

"Where  Onondaga  and  Mohawk  brave, 

Oneida,  Cayuga  and  Seneca  founded 

That  union  of  Tribes  that  terror  gave, 

Where  the  Tuscarora  war  whoop  sounded," 

let  us  turn  to  the  Journal  of  Lieut.  Colonel  Adam  Hubley. 
Colonel  Hubley,  as  we  have  seen,  by  our  perusal  of 
the  Roster,  was  the  Commander  of  the  1 1th  Pennsylvania 
Regiment,  and  he  tells  the  story  of  the  great  march  in  a 
quaint  and  interesting  style. 


CHAPTER  III 

IN  WHICH  COLONEL  HUBLEY  TELLS  THE  STORY 

SULLIVAN'S   GENERAL   ORDERS 
"HEADQUARTERS,    EASTON. 

May  24,  A.D.,  1779. 

WHEN  the  army  shall  be  fully  assembled  the  fol 
lowing  arrangements  are  to  take  place : 
Light  corps,  commanded  by  Gen.  Hand,  to  con 
sist  of:  Armandt's,   Hubley's,    Shott's,    6    Companies  of 
Rangers,  Wm.  Butler's  battalion,    Morgan's   corps,   and 
all  Volunteers  who  may  join  the  army. 

Maxwell's  Brigade  consists  of:  Dayton,  Shreeve, 
Ogden,  Spencer,  forming  right  of  the  first  line. 

Poor's  Brigade  consists  of:  Cilley,  Reed,  Scammel, 
Courtland,  and  form  left  of  first  line.  Livingston,  Du- 
bois,  Gainsworth,  Olden,  and  form  second  line  of  reserve. 

The  right  of  the  first  line  to  be  covered  by  100  men 
draughted  from  Maxwell's  brigade,  the  left  to  be  covered 
by  100  men  detached  from  Poor's  Brigade,  each  flank  of 
the  second  line  to  be  covered  by  50  men  detached  from 
Clinton's  brigade,  the  flanking  division  on  the  right  to 
consist  of  Hubley's  regiment,  and  a  draught  from  the  line 
of  100  men,  the  flanking  division  on  left  to  consist  of  the 
German  battalion,  and  100  draughted  men  from  the  line. 

ORDER  OF  MARCH 

The  light  corps  will  advance  by  the  right  of  companies 
in  files,  and  keep  at  least  one  mile  in  front.  Maxwell's 

41 


42  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

brigade  will  advance  by  its  right  in  files,  sections,  or 
platoons,  as  the  country  will  admit.  Poor's  brigade 
will  advance  by  its  left  in  the  same  manner.  Clinton's 
brigade  will  advance  by  the  right  of  regiment  in  platoons,, 
files,  or  sections,  as  the  country  will  admit.  All  the  cover 
ing  parties  and  flanking  divisions  on  the  right  will  advance 
by  their  left;  those  on  the  left  of  the  army  will  advance 
by  their  right.  The  artillery  and  pack  horses  are  to 
march  in  the  centre. 

Should  the  army  be  attacked  in  front  while  on  its  march, 
the  light  corps  will  immediately  form  to  repulse  the 
enemy,  the  flanking  division  will  endeavor  to  gain  the 
flanks  and  rear  of  the  enemy.  While  the  line  is  forming 
the  pack  horses  will,  in  all  cases,  fall  into  the  position 
represented  on  the  annexed  plan.  Should  the  enemy 
attack  on  either  flank,  the  flanking  division  attacked 
will  form  a  front,  and  sustain  the  attack  till  reinforced — 
in  which  case  a  part  of  the  light  corps  is  to  be  immediately 
detached  to  gain  the  enemy's  flank  and  rear,  the  covering 
parties  of  the  2d  line  to  move  to  gain  the  other  flank. 
Should  the  enemy  attack  our  rear,  the  £d  line  will  face 
and  form  a  front  to  the  enemy,  the  covering  parties  of  the 
first  line  will  move  to  sustain  it,  while  the  flanking  division 
face  about  and  endeavor  to  gain  their  flank  and  rear. 
Should  the  light  troops  be  driven  back,  they  will  pass 
through  the  intervals  of  the  main  army,  and  form  in  the 
rear.  Should  the  enemy  in  an  engagement  with  the 
army,  when  formed,  endeavor  either  flank,  the  covering 
party  will  move  up  to  lengthen  the  line,  and  so  much  as 
may  be  found  necessary  from  the  flanking  division  will 
display  outwards  to  prevent  the  attempt  from  succeeding. 
The  light  corps  will  have  their  advance  and  flank  guards 
at  a  good  distance  from  their  main  body.  The  flanking 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  43 

division  will  furnish  flank  guards,  and  the  2d  line  a  rear 
guard  for  the  main  army. 

When  we  find  that  the  light  corps  are  engaged  in  front, 
the  front  of  the  pack  horses  halt,  and  the  rear  close  up, 
while  the  columns  move  in  a  proper  distance,  close  and 
display,  which  will  bring  the  horses  in  the  position  they 
are  on  the  plan  for  the  order  of  battle.  Should  the 
attack  be  made  on  either,  in  flank  or  in  rear,  the  horses 
must  be  kept  hi  the  position  they  are  at  the  commence 
ment  of  the  attack,  unless  other  orders  are  then  given. 

JOHN  SULLIVAN." 

This  is  Colonel  Hubley's  Journal,  just  as  he  wrote  it 
from  day  to  day. 

WYOMING,  JULY  30th,  1779. — Wyoming  is  situated 
in  the  east  side  of  the  east  branch  of  the  Susquehanna, 
the  town  consisting  of  about  seventy  houses,  chiefly  log 
buildings;  besides  these  buildings  there  are  sundry  larger 
ones  which  were  erected  by  the  army  for  the  purpose 
of  receiving  stores,  etc.,  a  large  bake  and  smoke  house. 

There  is  likewise  a  small  fort  erected  in  the  town, 
with  a  strong  abatta  around  it,  and  a  small  redoubt  to 
shelter  the  inhabitants  in  cases  of  an  alarm.  This  fort  is 
garrisoned  by  100  men,  draughted  from  the  western  army, 
and  put  under  the  command  of  Col.  Zeb's  Butler.  I  can~ 
not  omit  taking  notice  of  the  poor  inhabitants  of  the  town : 
two-thirds  of  them  are  widows  and  orphans,  who,  by  the 
vile  hands  of  the  savages,  have  not  only  deprived  some 
of  tender  husbands,  some  of  indulgent  parents,  and  others 
of  affectionate  friends  and  acquaintances,  besides  robbed 
and  plundered  of  all  their  furniture  and  clothing.  In 
short,  they  are  left  totally  dependent  on  the  public,  and 
are  become  absolute  objects  of  charity. 


44  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

The  situation  of  this  place  is  elegant  and  delightful. 
It  composes  an  extensive  valley,  bounded  both  on  the 
east  and  west  side  of  the  river  by  large  chains  of  mountains. 
The  valley,  a  mere  garden,  of  an  excellent  rich  soil  abound 
ing  with  large  timber  of  all  kinds,  and  through  the  center 
the  east  branch  of  the  Susquehanna. 

WYOMING,  JULY  31st,  1779. — Agreeable  to  orders, 
marched  the  western  army  under  the  command  of  Major 
General  Sullivan,  from  this  place  to  Tioga. 

Took  up  the  line  of  march  about  one  o'clock  P.  M., 
viz.,  light  corps  advanced  in  front  of  main  body  about  a 
mile;  vanguard,  consisting  of  twenty-four  men,  under 
command  of  a  sub-altern,  and  Poor's  brigade  (main  body) , 
followed  by  packhorses  and  cattle,  after  which  one 
complete  regiment,  taken  alternately  from  Maxwell's 
and  Poor's  brigade  (composed  the  rear  guard). 

Observed  the  country  to  be  much  broken  and  mountain 
ous;  wood  chiefly  low,  and  composed  of  pine  only.  I  was 
struck  on  this  day's  march  with  the  ruins  of  many  houses, 
chiefly  built  of  logs,  and  uninhabited;  though  poor,  yet 
happy  in  their  situation,  until  that  horrid  engagement, 
when  the  British  tyrant  let  loose  upon  them  his  emissaries, 
the  savages  of  the  wood,  who  not  only  destroyed  and  laid 
waste  those  cottages,  but  in  cool  blood  massacred  and  cut 
off  the  inhabitants,  not  even  sparing  gray  locks  or  helpless 
infancy. 

About  4  o'clock,  p.  M.,  arrived  at  a  most  beautiful  plain, 
covered  with  an  abundance  of  grass,  soil  excessively  rich, 
through  which  runs  a  delightful  stream  of  water,  known 
by  the  name  of  Lackawanna;  crossed  the  same,  and 
encamped  about  one  mile  on  the  northern  side  of  it, 
advanced  about  one-half  mile  in  front  of  main  body; 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  45 

after  night  fell  in  with  rain — continued  until  morning. 
Distance  of  march  this  day,  10  miles. 

SUNDAY,  AUGUST  1st. — Continued  at  Lackawanna 
waiting  for  the  fleet,  which,  by  reason  of  considerable 
rapids,  was  detained  until  nearly  12  o'clock  this  day 
before  the  van  could  possibly  cross  there.  In  getting 
through,  lost  two  boats,  chief  of  their  cargoes  were  saved. 
About  2  o'clock  P.  M.,  the  whole  arrived  opposite  our 
encampment,  in  consequence  of  which  received  orders 
for  a  march,  struck  tents  accordingly,  and  moved  about 
2  o'clock  p.  M.  About  one  mile  from  the  encampment, 
entered  the  narrows  on  the  river,  first  detachment  and  left 
column  under  command  of  Capt.  Burk,  to  join  the  right 
column  of  light  corps,  and  across  the  mountain,  which 
was  almost  inaccessible,  in  order  to  cover  the  army  from 
falling  in  an  ambuscade.  Whilst  passing  through  the 
defile  found  passage  though  exceeding  difficult  and 
troublesome,  owing  to  the  badness  of  the  path;  we  passed 
by  a  most  beautiful  cataract  called  the  Spring  Falls. 
To  attempt  a  description  of  it  would  be  almost  presump 
tion.  Let  this  short  account  thereof  suffice.  The  first 
or  upper  fall  thereof  is  nearly  ninety  feet  perpendicular, 
pouring  from  a  solid  rock,  uttering  forth  a  most  beautiful 
echo,  and  is  received  by  a  cleft  of  rocks  considerably  more 
projected  than  the  former,  from  whence  it  rolls  gradually 
and  empties  into  the  Susquehanna.  Light  corps  passed 
and  got  through  the  defile  about  6  o'clock  P.  M.  ;  arrived 
about  dusk  at  a  place  called  Quilutimunk,  and  encamped 
one  mile  in  front  of  the  place,  occupied  that  night  by  the 
main  army. 

The  main  army,  on  account  of  the  difficult  passage, 
marched  nearly  all  night  before  they  reached  their  encamp- 


46  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

ing  ground.  Great  quantities  of  baggage  being  dropped 
and  left  lying  that  night  obliged  us  to  continue  on  this 
ground.  All  the  preceding  day  numbers  of  our  pack 
horses  were  sent  back  and  employed  in  bringing  on  the 
scattered  stores,  etc.;  distance  of  march  this  day  about 
7  miles;  fine  clear  evening.  Quilutimunk  is  a  spot  of 
ground  situate  on  the  river;  fine,  open  and  clear;  quantity, 
about  1200  acres;  soil  very  rich,  timber  fine,  grass  in 
abundance,  and  contains  several  exceedingly  fine  springs. 

MONDAY,  AUGUST  £d. — In  consequence  of  the  difficult 
and  tedious  march  the  preceding  day,  the  army  received 
orders  to  continue  on  the  ground  this  day,  in  the  mean 
time  to  provide  themselves  with  five  days  provision, 
and  getting  every  other  matter  in  perfect  readiness  for  a 
march  next  morning  at  6  o'clock.  Nothing  material 
happened  during  our  stay  on  this  ground. 

TUESDAY  3d. — Agreeable  to  orders  took  up  the  line  of 
march  at  6  o'clock,  A.  M.  Took  the  mountains  after  we 
assembled — found  them  exceedingly  level  for  at  least  six 
miles.  Land  tolerable,  the  timber,  viz.,  pine  and  white 
oak,  chiefly  large.  About  three  miles  from  Quilutimunk 
we  crossed  near  another  cataract,  which  descended  the 
mountain  in  three  successive  falls,  the  least  of  which  is 
equal  if  not  superior  to  the  one  already  described.  Al 
though  it  is  not  quite  so  high,  it  is  much  wider,  and  like 
wise  empties  into  the  Susquehanna,  seemingly  white  as 
milk.  They  are  commonly  known  by  the  name  of  Butter 
milk  Falls. 

About  12  o'clock  we  descended  the  mountains  near  the 
river;  marched  about  one  mile  on  flat  piece  of  ground, 
and  arrived  at  Tunkhannunk,  a  beautiful  stream  of  water 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  47 

so  called,  which  empties  into  the  Susquehanna;  crossed 
the  same,  and  encamped  on  the  river  about  1  o'clock, 
p.  M.  Nothing  material  happened  this  day  excepting 
a  discovery  of  two  Indians  by  the  party  on  the  west  side 
of  the  river,  Indians  finding  themselves  rather  near  the 
party  were  obliged  to  leave  their  canoe,  and  make  through 
the  mountains.  Party  took  possession  of  the  canoe, 
and  brought  it  to  their  encamping  place,  for  that  evening 
immediately  opposite  the  main  army.  Distance  of  march 
this  day,  12  miles. 

WEDNESDAY  4th. — The  army  was  in  motion  5  o'clock, 
A.  M.,  and  moved  up  the  river  for  three  miles,  chiefly  on 
the  beach,  close  under  an  almost  inaccessible  mountain. 
We  then  ascended  the  same  with  the  greatest  difficulty, 
and  continued  on  it  for  nearly  seven  miles.  A  consider 
able  distance  from  the  river  the  path  along  the  mountain 
was  exceedingly  rough,  and  carried  through  several  very 
considerable  swamps,  in  which  were  large  morasses.  The 
land  in  general  thin  and  broken,  abounds  in  wild  deer 
and  other  game.  We  then  descended  the  mountains, 
and,  at  the  foot  of  it  crossed  a  small  creek  called 
Massasppi,  immediately  where  it  empties  into  the  river. 
We  then  continued  up  the  same  until  we  made  Van- 
derlip's  farm,  discovered  several  old  Indian  encamp 
ments;  one  of  them  appeared  to  have  been  very  large. 

The  land,  after  crossing  Massasppi,  was  exceedingly 
fine  and  rich,  the  soil  very  black  and  well  timbered, 
chiefly  with  black  walnut,  which  are  remarkably  large, 
some  not  less  than  six  feet  over,  and  excessively  high. 
It  is  likewise  well  calculated  for  making  fine  and  extensive 
meadows.  The  main  army  took  post  for  this  night  on 
Vanderlip's  farm,  and  the  infantry  advanced  about  one 


48  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

mile  higher  up,  and  encamped  about  1  o'clock  p.  M., 
on  a  place  known  by  the  name  of  Williamson's  farm. 
Distance  marched  this  day,  14  miles;  fine  clear  day,  very 
hot. 

THURSDAY  5th. — In  consequence  of  orders  issued  last 
evening  to  march  this  morning  at  5  o'clock,  we  struck 
tents  and  loaded  baggage.  But  the  boats  being  consider 
ably  impeded  by  the  rapidness  of  the  water  some  miles 
below  our  encampment,  could  not  reach  us,  and  we  were 
obliged  to  halt  all  night.  Did  not  join  us  until  9  o'clock, 
A.  M.,  all  which  time  we  were  obliged  to  halt.  On  their 
arrival  the  whole  army  was  put  in  motion,  and  as  more 
danger  on  this  day's  march  was  apprehended  than  any 
before,  the  following  distribution  of  the  army  took  place, 
viz.:  the  right  and  left  columns  of  the  light  corps,  con 
ducted  by  Gen.  Hand,  moved  along  the  top  of  a  very 
high  mountain;  main  body  of  light  corps,  under  Col. 
Hubley's  command,  with  an  advance  of  twenty -four  men, 
moved  on  the  beach  several  miles  on  the  edge  of  the 
water.  The  main  army,  followed  by  the  baggage,  etc., 
flanked  on  their  right  by  four  hundred  men,  who  had 
likewise  to  take  this  mountain.  Thus  we  moved  for 
several  miles,  then  arrived  in  a  small  valley  called  Depue's 
farm;  the  land  very  good.  Observed  and  reconnoitered 
this  ground  for  some  distance,  it  being  the  place  in  which 
Col.  Hartley  was  attacked  by  the  savages  last  year,  on 
his  return  from  Tioga  to  Wyoming.  The  country  being 
fine  and  open,  some  loss  was  sustained  on  both  sides; 
the  savages  at  last  gave  way,  and  Col.  Hartley  pursued 
his  route  to  Wyoming  without  further  molestation. 
Continued  our  march  for  about  one  mile,  and  formed  a 
junction  with  the  parties  on  the  right  flank,  ascended  a 


STANDING    STONE    ROCK 

.In  the  Susquehanna  River,  near  Standing  Stone,  Pa.     It  is  about  six  feet  wide, 
twenty-five  feet  high,  and  is  mentioned  in  Col.   Hubley's  Journal. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  49 

high  mountain,  and  marched  for  some  miles  on  the  same. 
Land  poor,  timber  but  small,  chiefly  pine,  after  which 
descended  the  mountain  nearly  one  mile  in  length,  and 
arrived  in  a  fine  large  valley,  known  by  the  name  of 
Wyalusing.  The  main  army  took  post  at  this  place,  and 
the  infantry  advanced  about  one  mile  in  front  of  them, 
and  encamped  about  2  o'clock,  p.  M.  Clear  but  very 
warm  day;  distance  of  march  this  day,  10J/2  miles. 

This  valley  was  formerly  called  Oldman's  farm,  occu 
pied  by  the  Indians  and  white  people ;  together,  they  had 
about  sixty  houses,  a  considerable  Moravian  meeting 
house,  and  sundry  other  public  buildings;  but  since  the 
commencement  of  the  present  war  the  whole  has  been 
consumed  and  laid  waste,  partly  by  the  savages  and  partly 
by  our  own  people.  The  land  is  extraordinarily  calculated 
chiefly  for  meadows.  The  grass  at  this  time  is  almost 
beyond  description,  high  and  thick,  and  chiefly  blue  grass, 
and  the  soil  of  the  land  very  rich.  The  valley  contains 
about  1200  acres  of  land,  bounded  on  one  side  by  an 
almost  inaccessible  mountain,  and  on  the  other  by  the 
river  Susquehanna. 

FRIDAY,  AUG.  6th. — The  boats  not  arriving  before  late 
this  day,  the  army  received  orders  to  continue  on  the 
ground.  In  the  meantime  to  be  provided  with  three 
days  provisions,  get  their  arms  and  accoutrements  in 
perfect  order,  and  be  in  readiness  for  a  march  early  to 
morrow  morning.  A  sub.  and  twenty -four  men  from  my 
regiment  reconnoitered  vicinity  of  camp;  returned  in  the 
evening;  made  no  discoveries.  Rain  all  night. 

SATURDAY  7th. — The  heavy  rain  last  night  and  this 
morning  rendered  it  utterly  impossible  to  march  this 
day;  continued  on  the  ground  for  further  orders. 


50  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

A  captain  and  thirty  men  from  my  regiment  recon- 
noitered  vicinity  of  camp;  made  no  discoveries. 

This  day  received  a  letter  (by  express)  from  His  Excel 
lency  Gen.  Washington,  dated  Head  Quarters,  at  New 
Windsor. 

SUNDAY  8th. — The  army  moved  (in  the  same  order  as 
on  5th)  this  morning  at  5  o'clock;  crossed  Wyalusing 
creek,  and  ascended  an  extensive  mountain,  the  top 
remarkably  level;  land  poor,  and  timber  small.  Arrived 
about  10  o'clock,  A.  M.,  at  the  north  end,  and  descended 
the  same  close  on  the  river  side,  and  continued  along  the 
beach  for  some  distance,  after  which  we  entered  an  exten 
sive  valley  or  plain,  known  by  the  name  of  Standing  Stone; 
made  a  halt  here  for  about  half  an  hour  for  refreshments. 
This  place  derives  its  name  from  a  large  stone  standing 
erect  in  the  river  immediately  opposite  this  plain.  It  is 
near  twenty  feet  in  height,  fourteen  feet  in  width,  and  three 
feet  in  depth.  This  valley  abounds  in  grass,  the  land 
exceedingly  fine,  and  produces  chiefly  white  oak,  black 
walnut,  and  pine  timber.  After  refreshment,  continued 
our  march  along  the  same  valley;  land  not  quite  so  fine. 
Arrived  about  3  o'clock,  P.  M.,  at  a  small  creek  called 
Wesauking;  crossed  the  same,  and  encamped  about  one 
mile  beyond  it,  and  immediately  on  the  river. 

Four  o'clock,  p.  M.  Since  our  arrival  at  this  place 
some  of  my  officers  discovered  a  small  Indian  encamp 
ment,  seemingly  occupied  but  a  few  days  since;  found 
near  the  same  a  neat  canoe,  which  they  brought  off. 
This  morning  the  scout  (of  three  men)  sent  up  to  Sheshe- 
quin  some  days  since,  returned  without  making  any 
discoveries. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  51 

General  Sullivan,  on  account  of  his  indisposition,  came 
on  in  the  boat. 

MONDAY,  AUGUST  9th. — The  boats  not  being  able  to 
reach  Wesauking,  the  ground  on  which  light  corps  en 
camped  preceding  evening.  The  main  body  in  conse 
quence  thereof  took  post  and  encamped  at  Standing 
Stone,  about  three  miles  below  light  corps  encampment, 
for  protection  of  the  boats. 

The  light  corps,  on  account  of  their  detached  situation 
from  main  body  the  preceding  evening,  and  apprehending 
some  danger,  being  considerably  advanced  in  the  enemy's 
country,  for  their  greater  security,  stood  under  arms 
from  3  o'clock,  A.  M.,  until  daylight,  when  they  dismissed, 
with  orders  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  at  a  moment's 
warning.  Previous  to  their  dismissal  my  light  infantry 
was  sent  out  to  reconnoitre  the  vicinity  of  encampment; 
returned  about  7  o'clock,  A.  M.,  made  no  discovery. 

This  morning,  9  o'clock,  boats  hove  in  sight,  in  conse 
quence  thereof  received  orders  to  strike  tents,  and  be  in 
readiness  for  march;  main  army  in  the  meantime  arrived 
about  10  o'clock;  The  whole  was  in  motion,  marched 
through  a  difficult  swamp;  at  north  of  same  crossed  a 
small  stream,  and  ascended  a  hill;  lands  poor,  and  wood 
but  indifferent.  About  12  o'clock,  P.  M.,  descended  the 
same,  and  entered  a  small  valley;  continued  about  half 
a  mile,  when  we  ascended  a  very  remarkable  high 
mountain,  generally  known  by  the  name  of  Break  Neck 
Hill. 

This  mountain  derives  its  name  from  the  great  height, 
of  the  difficult  and  narrow  passage,  not  more  than  one 
foot  wide,  and  a  remarkable  precipice  which  is  immediately 
perpendicular,  and  not  less  than  180  feet  deep.  One 
miss-step  must  inevitably  carry  you  from  top  to  bottom 


52  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

without  the  least  hope  of  chance  of  recovery.  At  north 
end  of  same  entered  a  mountainous  and  beautiful  valley 
called  Sheshecununk.  General  Sullivan,  with  a  number 
of  officers,  made  a  halt  here  at  a  most  beautiful  run  of 
water,  took  a  bite  of  dinner,  and  proceeded  on  along  the 
valley,  which  very  particularly  struck  my  attention. 
Any  quantity  of  meadow  may  be  made  here;  abounds  with 
all  kinds  of  wood,  particularly  white  oak,  hickory,  and 
black  walnut;  the  ground  covered  with  grass  and  pea 
vines;  the  soil  in  general  rich.  About  4  o'clock,  p.  M., 
arrived  on  the  bank  of  the  river;  the  whole  encamped  in 
a  line  on  the  most  beautiful  plain;  consists  chiefly  in 
meadows,  the  grass  remarkable,  thick  and  high.  On  our 
arrival  here  made  discoveries  of  some  new  Indian  tracks, 
places  on  which  fire  had  just  been,  and  fresh  boughs  cut, 
and  prepared  as  if  the  place  had  just  been  occupied  a  few 
hours  before  our  arrival.  Distance  of  march  this  day, 
miles. 


TUESDAY,  AUGUST  10th.  Set  in  with  rain,  and  boats 
not  reaching  this  place  before  9  o'clock  this  morning, 
army  received  orders  to  continue  on  the  ground  until 
further  orders.  Men  drew  and  cooked  two  days  provi 
sions. 

One  regiment  from  each  of  the  brigades  attended  General 
Sullivan.  The  general  and  field  officers  of  the  army 
whilst  they  were  reconnoitering  the  river  and  ground 
near  Tioga  branch,  about  three  miles  above  this  place, 
returned  without  any  discoveries  worthy  of  remark,  about 
4  o'clock,  P.  M. 

WEDNESDAY,  AUGUST  llth.  —  Agreeable  to  orders  the 
army  moved  this  morning  at  8  o'clock,  A.  M.  in  the  usual 
order.  Light  corps  moved  half  an  hour  before  the  main 


tt&:*    <M* 


PORT  SULUVAftv  V 


^t:i 


The  boulder  that  marks  the  north  point  of  Fort  Sullivan,  at  Tipga  Point, 
(Athens,  Pa.)  placed  by  the  Tioga  Point  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  in  1902. 


OUTLINE  OF  FORT  SULLIVAN   AT  TIOGA  POINT 

(Now  Athens,   Pa.) 

i,   2,  3,  and  4,   Blockhouses 

M — Marker  shown  on  reverse  page. 

Drawn  by  I.  C.  King,  1914,  from  details  furnished  by  the  author. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  53 

army,  took  post  on  the  banks  of  the  river  near  the  fording 
place.  On  the  arrival  of  the  main  army  and  boats,  Col. 
Forest  drew  up  his  boat  at  the  fording  place,  and  fixed 
several  six  pounders  on  the  opposite  shore  to  scour  the 
woods  and  thickets,  and  prevent  any  ambuscade  from 
taking  place.  In  the  meantime  the  light  corps  marched  by 
platoons,  linked  together,  on  account  of  the  rapidity  of 
the  water,  and  forded  the  same,  and  effected  a  landing 
about  9  o'clock;  they  immediately  advanced  about  one 
hundred  yards  from  the  river,  and  formed  a  line  of  battle, 
in  order  to  cover  the  landing  of  the  main  army,  which 
was  safely  effected  about  10  o'clock,  A.  M.,  after  which 
came  on  pack  horses,  cattle,  etc.,  covered  by  a  regiment 
which  composed  the  rear  guard.  About  half  past  ten 
o'clock  the  whole  moved  in  following  order. 

Previous  to  our  arrival  on  the  flats  we  had  to  pass  about 
one  and  a  half  mile  through  a  dark,  difficult  swamp,  which 
was  covered  with  weeds  and  considerable  underwood, 
interspersed  with  large  timber,  chiefly  buttonwood.  We 
then  entered  the  flats  near  the  place  on  which  Queen 
Esther's  palace  stood,  and  was  destroyed  by  Col.  Hartley's 
detachment  last  fall.  The  grass  is  remarkable  thick  and 
high.  We  continued  along  the  same  for  about  one  mile, 
and  arrived  at  the  entrance  of  Tioga  branch  into  Susque- 
hanna  about  1  o'clock;  we  crossed  the  same,  and  landed 
on  a  peninsula  of  land  which  extends  towards  Chemung, 
and  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  Susquehanna,  and  on  the 
west  by  Tioga  branch,  and  continued  up  the  same  for 
about  two  miles  and  a  half  and  encamped.  This  penin 
sula  is  composed  of  excellent  meadow  and  upland;  grass 
is  plenty,  and  timber  of  all  kinds,  and  soil  in  general  good; 
distance  of  march  this  day,  three  miles.  Since  our  arrival 
a  scout  of  eight  men  was  ordered  up  to  reconnoitre  Che- 


54  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

mung,  and  endeavor  to  make  discoveries  of  the  number  of 
savages,  and  their  situation,  if  possible. 

THURSDAY,  AUGUST  12th. — Tioga  Plain.  This  being 
a  plain  calculated  to  cover  the  western  army  during  the 
expedition  to  the  northern  part  of  it,  a  garrison  for  that 
purpose  is  to  remain  until  our  return.  Sundry  works 
for  the  security  of  the  same  are  now  erecting  about  two 
and  a  half  miles  distant  from  where  Tioga  branch  empties 
into  the  Susquehanna,  and  where  the  two  rivers  are  about 
190  yards  distant  from  each  other;  these  works  extend 
from  river  to  river. 

Capt.  Cummings  with  his  scout  (sent  out  last  evening) 
returned  this  day  at  11  o'clock,  A.  M.,  made  several  dis 
coveries  at  Chemung;  an  Indian  village  twelve  miles 
distance  from  this  place;  in  consequence  of  which  a 
council  of  war  sat,  and  determined  an  expedition  should 
immediately  take  place  for  the  reduction  of  the  same. 
The  army  (two  regiments  excepted)  received  orders  to 
be  in  readiness  for  an  immediate  march.  Eight  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  the  whole  were  in  motion,  and  proceeded  for 
Chemung. 

AUGUST  13th,  1779. — Eight  o'clock,  P.M.,  the  army 
having  marched  last  evening  in  the  following  order,  viz., 
Light  corps,  under  command  of  Gen.  Hand,  led  the  van, 
then  followed  Gens.  Poor  and  Maxwell's  brigades,  which 
formed  main  body,  and  corps  de  reserve,  the  whole  under 
the  immediate  command  of  Maj.  Gen.  Sullivan.  The 
night  being  excessively  dark,  and  the  want  of  proper 
guides,  impeded  our  march,  besides  which  we  had  several 
considerable  defiles  to  march  through,  that  we  could 
not  possibly  reach  Chemung  till  after  daylight.  The 
morning  being  foggy  favoured  our  enterprise.  Our  pilot, 
on  our  arrival,  from  some  disagreeable  motions  he  felt, 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  55 

could  not  find  the  town.  We  discovered  a  few  huts, 
which  we  surrounded,  but  found  them  vacated;  after 
about  one  hour's  march  we  came  upon  the  main  town. 
The  following  disposition  for  surprising  the  same  was 
ordered  to  take  place,  viz:  Two  regiments,  one  from  the 
light  corps,  and  one  from  main  body,  were  ordered  to 
cross  the  river  and  prevent  the  enemy  from  making  their 
escape  that  way,  should  they  still  hold  the  town.  The 
remainder  of  the  light  corps,  viz.,  two  independent 
companies,  and  my  regiment,  under  command  of  Hand, 
were  to  make  the  attack  on  the  town.  Gen.  Poor  was 
immediately  to  move  up  and  support  the  light  corps. 
We  moved  in  this  order  accordingly,  but  the  savages 
having  probably  discovered  our  scouting  party  the 
preceding  day,  defeated  our  enterprise  by  evacuating  the 
village  previous  to  our  coming,  carrying  off  with  them 
nearly  all  their  furniture  and  stock,  and  leaving  an  empty 
village  only,  which  fell  an  easy  conquest  about  5  o'clock 
A.  M.  The  situation  of  this  village  was  beautiful;  it 
contained  fifty  or  sixty  houses,  built  of  logs  and  frames, 
and  situate  on  the  banks  of  Tioga  branch,  and  on  a  most 
fertile,  beautiful,  and  extensive  plain,  the  lands  chiefly 
calculated  for  meadows,  and  the  soil  rich. 

The  army  continued  for  some  small  space  in  the  town. 
Gen.  Hand,  in  the  meantime,  advanced  my  light  infantry 
company,  under  Capt.  Bush,  about  one  mile  beyond  the 
village,  on  a  path  which  leads  to  a  small  Indian  habita 
tion,  called  Newtown.  On  Capt.  Bush's  arrival,  there  he 
discovered  fires  burning,  an  Indian  dog,  which  lay  asleep, 
a  number  of  deer  skins,  some  blankets,  etc.;  he  im 
mediately  gave  information  of  his  discoveries,  in  conse 
quence  of  which  the  remainder  part  of  the  light  corps, 
viz.:  the  two  independent  companies,  and  my  regiment, 


56  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

under  Gen.  Hand's  command,  were  ordered  to  move  some 
miles  up  the  path,  and  endeavor,  if  possible,  to  make 
some  discoveries.  We  accordingly  proceeded  on  in  the 
following  order,  viz:  Captain  Walker,  with  twenty- 
four  men,  composed  the  van,  the  eleventh  regiment, 
under  my  command,  after  which  the  two  independent 
companies,  the  whole  covered  on  the  left  by  Tioga  branch, 
and  on  the  right  by  Capt.  Bush's  infantry  company  of 
forty  men.  In  this  order  we  moved  somewhat  better 
than  a  mile  beyond  this  place.  The  first  fires  were 
discovered  when  our  van  was  fired  upon  by  a  party  of 
savages,  who  lay  concealed  on  a  high  hill  immediately 
upon  our  right,  and  which  Capt.  Bush  had  not  yet  made. 
We  immediately  formed  a  front  with  my  regiment, 
pushed  up  the  hill  with  a  degree  of  intrepidity  seldom  to 
be  met  with,  and  under  a  very  severe  fire  from  the  savages. 
Capt.  Bush,  in  the  meantime,  endeavored  to  gain  the 
enemy's  rear.  They,  seeing  the  determined  resolution 
of  our  troops,  retreated;  and,  according  to  custom, 
previous  to  our  dislodging  them,  carried  off  their  wounded 
and  dead,  by  which  means  they  deprived  us  from  coming 
to  the  knowledge  of  their  wounded  and  dead.  The 
ground  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  mountain  or  ridge, 
on  which  the  action  commenced,  being  composed  of 
swamp  or  low  ground,  covered  with  underwood,  etc., 
favored  their  retreat,  and  prevented  our  pursuing  them, 
by  which  means  they  got  off. 

Our  loss  on  this  occasion,  which  totally  (excepting  two) 
fell  on  my  regiment,  was  as  follows,  viz:  two  captains, 
one  adjutant,  one  guide,  and  eight  privates  wounded, 
and  one  sergeant,  one  drummer,  and  four  privates  killed. 
Officers'  names:  Captain  Walker  (slight  wound),  Captain 
Carberry,  and  Adjt.  Huston  (I  fear  mortal). 


THE    OLD    ATHENS   ACADEMY 

Which  stands  near  the  site  of  "Fort  Sullivan"  at  Tioga  Point,  (Athens,  Pa.). 
Built  in  1798,  nineteen  years  after  the  expedition. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  57 

After  gaining  the  summit  of  the  hill,  and  dislodging 
the  enemy,  we  marched  by  the  right  of  companies  in  eight 
columns,  and  continued  along  the  same  line  until  the 
arrival  of  General  Sullivan.  We  then  halted  for  some 
little  time,  and  then  returned  to  the  village,  which  was 
instantly  laid  in  ashes,  and  a  party  detached  to  cross  the 
river  to  destroy  the  corn,  beans,  etc.,  of  which  there  were 
several  very  extensive  fields,  and  those  articles  in  the 
greatest  perfection.  Whilst  the  troops  were  engaged  in 
this  business,  Gens.  Poor  and  Maxwell's  brigades  were 
fired  upon,  lost  one  man,  killed,  and  several  wounded. 
The  whole  business  being  completed,  we  returned  to  the 
ruins  of  the  village,  halted  some  time  and  received  orders 
to  return  to  Tioga  plain,  at  which  place  we  arrived  at 
8  o'clock,  considerably  fatigued.  Lest  the  savages 
should  discover  our  loss,  after  leaving  the  place,  I  had  the 
dead  bodies  of  my  regiment  carried  along,  fixed  on  horses, 
and  brought  to  this  place  for  interment.  The  expedition 
from  the  first  to  the  last  continued  twenty-four  hours, 
of  which  time  my  regiment  was  employed,  without  the 
least  intermission,  twenty-three  hours;  the  whole  of  our 
march  not  less  than  forty  miles. 

SATURDAY,  AUGUST  14th. — This  morning  10  o'clock, 
A.  M.,  had  the  bodies  of  those  brave  veterans,  who  so 
nobly  distinguished  themselves,  and  bravely  fell  in  the 
action  of  yesterday,  interred  with  military  honors  (firing 
excepted).  Parson  Rogers  delivered  a  small  discourse 
on  the  occasion. 

Was  employed  a  greater  part  of  the  day  in  writing  to 
my  friends  at  Lancaster  and  Philadelphia,  which  were 
forwarded  the  same  evening. 

SUNDAY  15th. — Agreeable  to  orders  of  yesterday, 
seven  hundred  men  were  ordered  to  march  on  the  grand 


58  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

parade  for  inspection,  and  to  be  furnished  with  ammuni 
tion  and  eight  days  provision,  for  the  purpose  of  marching 
up  the  Susquehanna  and  meeting  General  Clinton,  who 
is  now  on  his  march  to  form  a  junction  with  this  army. 

Two  o'clock,  P.  M.,  a  firing  was  heard  on  the  west  side 
of  Tioga  branch,  immediately  opposite  our  encampment. 
A  number  of  Indians  under  cover  of  a  high  mountain, 
advanced  on  a  large  meadow  or  flat  of  ground,  on  which 
our  cattle  and  horses  were  grazing.  Unfortunately,  two 
men  W3re  there  to  fetch  some  horses,  one  of  which  was 
killed  and  scalped,  the  other  slightly  wounded,  but  got 
clear.  One  bullock  was  likewise  killed,  and  several 
public  horses  taken  off.  My  regiment  was  ordered  in 
pursuit  of  them;  we  accordingly  crossed  the  branch  and 
ascended  the  mountain,  marched  along  the  summit  of 
the  same  for  upwards  of  two  miles  in  order  to  gain  their 
rear;  but  the  enemy  having  too  much  start  got  clear. 
After  scouring  the  mountains  and  valleys  near  the  same, 
we  returned,  much  fatigued,  about  5  o'clock,  p.  M. 

MONDAY  16th. — The  detachment  under  General  Poor's 
command  agreeable  to  orders,  moved  this  day,  1  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  up  the  Susquehanna  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a 
junction  with  Gen.  Clinton. 

Several  of  our  continentals  alarmed  the  camp  by  firing 
off  several  guns  about  1  o'clock  in  the  morning,  in  conse 
quence  of  which  light  corps  stood  under  arms.  Several 
patrols  were  sent  out  to  reconnoitre  the  front  of  encamp 
ment,  returned  near  day-break,  but  made  no  discoveries — 
alarm  proved  premature.  Gen.  Hand,  being  ordered 
with  the  detachment  under  Gen.  Poor,  the  command  of 
light  corps  devolved  on  me  during  his  absence. 

TUESDAY,  17th. — Seven  o'clock,  p.  M.,  a  firing  was 
heard  about  five  hundred  yards  immediately  in  front  of 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  59 

light  corps'  encampment.  A  party  of  fifty  men  was  im 
mediately  detached  to  endeavor  to  find  out  the  cause  of 
it;  returned  at  8  o'clock,  P.  M.;  reported  that  a  party 
of  Indians,  eleven  in  number,  had  waylaid  a  few  pack 
horsemen,  who  were  just  returning  with  their  horses  from 
pasture;  that  they  had  killed  and  scalped  one  man,  and 
wounded  another;  the  wounded  man  got  safe  to  camp, 
and  the  corpse  of  the  other  was  likewise  brought  in. 

An  alarm  was  fired  by  a  continental  about  11  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  but  proved  false. 

WEDNESDAY,  18th. — In  order  to  entrap  some  of  those 
savages  who  keep  sneaking  about  the  encampment,  the 
following  parties  ordered  out  for  that  purpose,  and  to 
be  relieved  daily  by  an  equal  number  until  we  leave  this 
ground,  viz:  one  subaltern  and  twenty  men  on  the 
mountain  opposite  the  encampment;  one  subaltern  and 
twenty  men  on  the  island,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  above 
the  encampment,  on  Tioga  branch,  and  one  subaltern 
and  twenty  men  in  the  woods,  about  one  and  a  half 
immediately  in  front  of  light  corps'  encampment,  with 
orders  to  waylay  and  take  every  other  means  to  take  them. 

This  day,  by  particular  request  of  several  gentlemen, 
a  discourse  was  delivered  in  the  Masonic  form,  by  Dr. 
Rogers,  on  the  death  of  Captain  Davis  of  the  llth  Penn., 
and  Lieutenant  Jones  of  the  Delaware  regiments,  who 
were,  on  the  23d  of  April  last,  most  cruelly  and  inhumanly 
massacred  and  scalped  by  the  savages,  emissaries  em 
ployed  by  the  British  king,  as  they  were  marching  with 
a  detachment  for  the  relief  of  the  garrison  at  Wyoming. 

Those  gentlemen  were  both  members  of  that  honour 
able  and  ancient  Society  of  Freemen.  A  number  of 
brethren  attended  on  this  occasion  in  proper  form,  and 
the  whole  was  conducted  with  propriety  and  harmony. 


60  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

Text  preached  on  this  solemn  occasion  was  the  first 
clause  in  the  7th  verse  of  the  7th  chapter  of  Job,  "Remem 
ber  my  life  is  but  wind." 

THURSDAY,  19th. — Nothing  remarkable  this  day. 

FRIDAY,  20th. — This  day  arrived  Lieut.  Boyd,  of 
Col.  Butler's  regiment,  with  accounts  of  Gen.  Clinton's 
movements  on  the  Susquehanna,  and  that  a  junction 
was  formed  by  him  with  Gen.  Poor's  detachment, 
Chokoanut,  about  thirty-five  miles  from  this  place. 
Rain  very  heavy  chief  part  of  the  day. 

SATURDAY,  21st. — The  detachments  under  Gens.  Clin 
ton  and  Poor,  on  account  of  the  very  heavy  rain  yesterday, 
did  not  reach  this  encampment  as  was  expected. 

SUNDAY,  22d. — This  day,  10  o'clock,  A.  M.,  Gens. 
Clinton  and  Poor's  detachments,  with  about  two  hundred 
and  twenty  boats,  passed  light  corps'  encampment  for 
the  main  army,  about  one  and  a  half  miles  in  their  rear. 
On  their  passing,  they  were  saluted  with  thirteen  rounds 
from  the  park;  the  light  corps  being  likewise  drawn  up, 
and  received  them  in  proper  form,  with  Col.  Proctor's 
music,  and  drums  and  fifes  beating  and  playing. 

MONDAY,  23d. — This  day  a  most  shocking  affair  hap 
pened,  by  an  accident  of  a  gun,  which  went  off,  the  ball 
of  which  entered  a  tent  in  which  was  Capt.  Kimball,  of 
Gen.  Poor's  brigade,  and  a  lieutenant;  the  captain  was 
unfortunately  killed,  and  the  lieutenant  wounded. 

Gen.  Clinton,  having  formed  a  junction  with  the  army 
at  this  place  yesterday,  the  following  alterations  in  the 
several  brigades  were  ordered  to  take  place,  viz:  Col. 
Courtland's  regiment  to  be  annexed  to  General  Clinton's, 
Colonel  Older  to  General  Poor's,  and  Colonel  Butler's 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  61 

regiment,  with  Major  Parr's  corps,  to  General  Hand's 
brigade. 

TUESDAY,  24th. — This  day  employed  hands  to  make 
bags  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  flour;  hands  employed 
all  day  and  night  in  this  business. 

Agreeable  to  orders  a  signal  gun  was  fired  for  the  whole 
army  to  strike  tents,  5  o'clock,  p.  M.,  and  marched  some 
distance  in  order  to  form  the  line  of  march.  Seven 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  another  signal  was  fired  for  the  army  to 
encamp  in  proper  order,  and  to  be  in  readiness  for  an 
immediate  march.  Col.  Butler's  regiment,  with  Major 
Parr's  riflemen,  joined  light  corps,  and  encamped  with 
them  this  day,  7  o'clock,  P.  M. 

Colonel  Shrieve  took  command  of  Fort  Sullivan  this 
day  agreeable  to  orders.  Flying  hospital  and  stores 
were  moved  this  day  to  the  garrison. 

WEDNESDAY,  25th. — This  morning  was  entirely  devoted 
to  packing  up  and  getting  everything  in  readiness  for  an 
immediate  march.  A  heavy  rain  fell  in  at  11  o'clock, 
continued  greater  part  of  the  day,  which  prevented  our 
movements. 

THURSDAY,  26th. — The  army  not  being  perfectly  ready 
to  march  at  8  o'clock,  A.  M.,  agreeable  to  yesterday's 
orders,  the  signal  gun  for  march  was  not  fired  until  11 
o'clock,  when  the  whole  took  up  the  line  of  march  in  the 
following  order,  namely,  light  corps,  commanded  by 
Gerneral  Hand,  marched  in  six  columns,  the  right  com 
manded  by  Colonel  Butler,  and  the  left  by  myself.  Major 
Parr,  with  the  riflemen,  dispersed  considerably  in  front 
of  the  whole,  with  orders  to  reconnoitre  all  mountains, 
defiles,  and  other  suspicious  places,  previous  to  the  arrival 
of  the  army,  to  prevent  any  surprise  or  ambuscade  from 
taking  place.  The  pioneers,  under  command  of  a  cap- 


62  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

tain,  subaltern,  then  followed  after,  which  preceded  the 
park  of  artillery;  then  came  on  the  main  army,  in  two 
columns,  in  the  center  of  which  moved  the  pack  horses 
and  cattle,  the  whole  flanked  on  right  and  left  by  the 
flanking  divisions,  commanded  by  Colonel  Dubois  and 
Colonel  Ogden,  and  rear  brought  up  by  General  Clinton's 
brigade;  in  this  position  the  whole  moved  to  the  upper 
end  of  Tioga  flats,  about  three  miles  above  Fort  Sullivan, 
where  we  encamped  for  this  night. 

This  day  disposed  of  one  of  my  horses  to  Mr.  Bond, 
Captain,  on  account  of  his  indisposition,  obtained  leave 
to  continue  either  at  Fort  Sullivan,  or  go  to  Wyoming, 
until  the  return  of  the  regiment  from  the  expedition. 

FRIDAY,  AUGUST  27th. — On  account  of  some  delays 
this  morning  army  did  not  move  until  half  past  eight 
o'clock,  A.  M.  Previous  to  the  march  the  pioneers,  under 
cover  of  the  rifle  corps,  were  advanced  to  the  first  and 
second  defile,  or  narrows,  some  miles  in  front  of  our 
encampment,  where  they  were  employed  in  mending  and 
cutting  a  road  for  the  pack  to  pass.  The  army  marched 
in  same  order  of  yesterday,  the  country  through  which 
they  had  to  pass  being  exceedingly  mountainous  and  rough, 
and  the  slow  movements  of  the  pack  considerably  im 
peded  the  march.  About  7  o'clock,  p.  M.,  we  arrived 
near  the  narrows,  at  the  lower  end  of  Chemung,  where 
we  encamped  in  the  following  order;  light  corps  near 
the  entrance  of  the  defile  or  narrows,  and  in  front  of  some 
very  extensive  corn-fields,  some  refugee  Tories,  now 
acting  with  the  favour  of  the  main  army,  about  one  mile 
in  our  rear,  and  immediately  fronting  the  corn-fields. 
After  camping  had  an  agreeable  repast  of  corn,  potatoes, 
beans,  cucumbers,  watermelons,  squashes,  and  other 
vegetables,  which  were  in  great  plenty,  (produced)  from 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  63 

the  corn-fields  already  mentioned,  and  in  the  greatest 
perfection;   distance  of  march  this  day,  six  miles. 

SATURDAY,  AUGUST  28th. — Fore  part  of  this  day  being 
employed  by  the  general  and  principal  officers  of  the  army 
in  reconnoitering  the  river  and  finding  out  some  fording 
place  for  the  artillery,  pack  horses,  and  cattle  to  cross, 
to  gain  Chemung,  the  defile  or  narrows  mentioned  in  my 
yesterday's  journal  being  so  excessively  narrow,  and, 
indeed,  almost  impracticable  for  them  to  pass. 

The  following  disposition  for  the  marching  of  the  army 
took  place  accordingly,  namely:  The  rifle  corps,  with 
General  Maxwell's  brigade,  and  left  flanking  division  of 
the  army,  covering  the  park,  pack  horses,  and  cattle, 
crossed  to  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  about  one  and  a 
half  mile  above  recrossed  the  same,  and  formed  a  junc 
tion  on  the  lower  end  of  Chemung  flats  with  the  light 
corps,  Generals  Poor  and  Clinton's  brigades,  and  right 
flanking  division  of  the  army,  who  took  their  route  across 
an  almost  inaccessible  mountain,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  the  bottom  of  which  forms  the  narrows  already 
mentioned.  The  summit  was  gained  with  the  greatest 
difficulty;  on  the  top  of  the  mountain  the  lands,  which 
are  level  and  extensive,  are  exceedingly  rich  with  large 
timber,  chiefly  oak,  interspersed  with  underwood  and 
excellent  grass.  The  prospect  from  this  mountain  is 
most  beautiful;  we  had  a  view  of  the  country  of  at  least 
twenty  miles  round;  the  fine,  extensive  plains,  inter 
spersed  with  streams  of  water,  made  the  prospect  pleasing 
and  elegant  from  this  mountain.  We  observed,  at  some 
considerable  distance,  a  number  of  clouds  of  smoke  arising, 
where  we  concluded  the  enemy  to  be  encamped. 

Previous  to  the  movement  of  the  army  this  day,  a 
small  party  of  men  were  sent  across  the  river  in  order 


64  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

to  destroy  some  few  Indian  huts,  which  were  immediately 
opposite  our  encampment.  Before  the  business  was  quite 
effected  they  were  fired  upon  by  a  party  of  Indians,  who, 
after  giving  the  fire,  immediately  retreated;  the  party 
executed  their  orders,  and  all  returned  unhurt  to  the 
army. 

The  scout  sent  out  last  evening  to  reconnoitre  the 
enemy  near  Newtown  (an  Indian  village  so  called),  returned 
this  day,  and  reported  they  discovered  a  great  number  of 
fires,  and  that  they  supposed,  from  the  extensive  piece 
of  ground  covered  by  the  fires,  the  enemy  must  be  very 
formidable,  and  mean  to  give  us  battle.  They  likewise 
discovered  four  or  five  small  scouting  parties  on  their 
way  towards  this  place,  it  is  supposed  to  reconnoitre  our 
army.  Since  our  arrival  here  a  great  quantity  of  furni 
ture  was  found  by  our  soldiers  which  was  concealed  in  the 
adjacent  woods.  After  forming  the  junction  above 
mentioned  we  took  up  the  line  of  march,  and  moved  to 
the  upper  Chemung  town,  and  encamped  about  6  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  for  this  night.  Distance  of  march  on  a  straight 
course,  about  two  miles. 

From  the  great  quantities  of  corn  and  other  vegetables 
here  and  in  the  neighborhood,  it  is  supposed  they  intended 
to  establish  their  principal  magazine  at  this  place,  which 
seems  to  be  their  chief  rendezvous,  whenever  they  intend 
to  go  to  war;  it  is  the  key  to  the  Pennsylvania  and  New 
York  frontier.  The  corn  already  destroyed  by  our 
army  is  not  less  than  5,000  bushels  upon  a  moderate 
calculation,  and  the  quantity  yet  in  the  ground  in  this 
neighborhood,  is  at  least  the  same,  besides  which  there 
are  vast  quantities  of  beans,  potatoes,  squashes,  pumpkins, 
etc.,  which  shared  the  fate  of  the  corn. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  65 

SUNDAY,  AUGUST  29th. — This  morning  at  9  o'clock  the 
army  moved  in  the  same  order  of  the  26 ;  the  riflemen  were 
well  scattered  in  front  of  the  light  corps,  who  moved  with 
the  greatest  precision  and  caution.  On  our  arrival  near 
the  ridge  on  which  the  action  of  the  13th  commenced 
with  light  corps,  our  van  discovered  several  Indians  in 
front,  one  of  whom  gave  them  a  fire,  and  then  fled.  We 
continued  our  march  for  about  one  mile,  the  rifle  corps 
entered  a  low  marshy  ground  which  seemed  well  calcu 
lated  for  forming  ambuscades;  they  advanced  with  great 
precaution,  when  several  more  Indians  were  discovered 
who  fired  and  retreated.  Major  Parr,  from  those  cir 
cumstances,  judged  it  rather  dangerous  to  proceed  any 
further  without  taking  every  caution  to  reconnoitre 
almost  every  foot  of  ground,  and  ordered  one  of  his  men 
to  mount  a  tree  and  see  if  he  could  make  any  discoveries; 
after  being  some  time  on  the  tree  he  discovered  the 
movements  of  several  Indians  (which  were  rendered 
conspicuous  by  the  quantity  of  paint  they  had  on  them), 
as  they  were  laying  behind  an  extensive  breastwork, 
which  extended  at  least  half  a  mile,  and  most  artfully 
covered  with  green  boughs  and  trees,  having  their  right 
flank  secured  by  the  river,  and  their  left  by  a  mountain. 
It  was  situated  on  a  rising  ground — about  one  hundred 
yards  in  front  of  a  difficult  stream  of  water,  bounded  on 
the  marshy  ground  already  mentioned  on  our  side,  and 
on  the  other,  between  it  and  the  breastwork,  by  an  open 
and  clear  field.  Major  Parr  immediately  gave  intelli 
gence  to  General  Hand  of  his  discoveries,  who  im 
mediately  advanced  the  light  corps  within  about  three 
hundred  yards  of  the  enemy's  works,  and  formed  in  line 
of  battle;  the  rifle  corps,  under  cover,  advanced,  and 
lay  under  the  bank  of  the  creek  within  one  hundred  yards 


66  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

of  the  lines.  Gen.  Sullivan,  having  previous  notice, 
arrived  with  the  main  army,  and  ordered  the  following 
disposition  to  take  place:  The  rifle  and  light  corps  to 
continue  their  position;  the  left  flanking  division  under 
command  of  Colonel  Ogden,  to  take  post  on  the  left  flank 
of  the  light  corps,  and  General  Maxwell's  brigade,  some 
distance  in  the  rear,  as  a  corps  de  reserve,  and  Colonel 
Proctor's  artillery  in  front  of  the  light  corps,  and  im 
mediately  opposite  the  breastwork.  A  heavy  fire  en 
sued  between  the  rifle  corps  and  the  enemy,  but  little 
damage  was  done  on  either  side.  In  the  meantime, 
Generals  Poor  and  Clinton's  brigades,  with  the  right 
flanking  division,  were  ordered  to  march  and  gain,  if 
possible,  the  enemy's  flank  and  rear,  whilst  the  rifle  and 
light  corps  amused  them  in  front.  Col.  Proctor  had 
orders  to  be  in  readiness  with  his  artillery  and  attack  the 
lines,  first  allowing  a  sufficient  space  of  time  to  Generals 
Poor,  etc.,  to  gain  their  intended  stations.  About  3 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  the  artillery  began  their  attack  on  the 
enemy's  works  the  rifle  and  light  corps  in  the  meantime 
prepared  to  advance  and  charge;  but  the  enemy,  finding 
their  situation  rather  precarious,  and  our  troops  deter 
mined,  left  and  retreated  from  their  works  with  the  great 
est  precipitation,  leaving  behind  them  a  number  of 
blankets,  gun  covers,  and  kettles,  with  corn  boiling  over 
the  fire.  Generals  Poor,  etc.,  on  account  of  several 
difficulties  which  they  had  to  surmount,  could  not  effect 
their  designs,  and  the  enemy  probably  having  intelli 
gence  of  their  approach,  posted  a  number  of  troops  on 
the  top  of  a  mountain,  over  which  they  had  to  advance. 
On  their  arrival  near  the  summit  of  the  same,  the  enemy 
gave  them  a  fire,  and  wounded  several  officers  and  soldiers. 
General  Poor  pushed  on  and  gave  them  a  fire,  as  they 


THE    OLD    SULLIVAN    MONUMENT 

On  the  Newtown  battlefield,  near  Elmira,  Chemung  Co.,  N.  Y.  This  picture 
shows  its  condition  in  the  go's.      No  trace  of  it  now  remains. 


GENERAL   WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  67 

retreated,  and  killed  five  of  the  savages.  In  course  of 
the  day  we  took  nine  scalps  (all  savages)  and  two  prison 
ers,  who  were  separately  examined,  and  gave  the  following 
corresponding  account;  that  the  enemy  were  seven 
hundred  men  strong,  viz:  five  hundred  savages,  and  two 
hundred  Tories,  with  about  twenty  British  troops,  com 
manded  by  a  Seneca  Chief,  the  two  Butlers,  Brandt,  and 
M'Donald. 

The  infantry  pushed  on  towards  Newtown;  the  main 
army  halted  and  encamped  near  the  place  of  action,  near 
which  were  several  extensive  fields  of  corn  and  other 
vegetables.  About  six  o'clock,  P.  M.,  the  infantry  re 
turned  and  encamped  near  the  main  army. 

The  prisoners  further  informed  us  that  the  whole  of 
their  party  had  subsisted  on  corn  only  for  this  fortnight 
past,  and  that  they  had  no  other  provisions  with  them; 
and  that  their  next  place  of  rendezvous  would  be  at 
Catherines  town,  and  Indian  village  about  twenty-five 
miles  from  this  place. 

Distance  of  march  (exclusive  of  counter-marches) 
this  day,  about  eight  miles. 

MONDAY,  AUGUST  30th. — On  account  of  the  great 
quantities  of  corn,  beans,  potatoes,  turnips,  and  other 
vegetables,  in  destroying  of  which  the  troops  were  em 
ployed,  and  the  rain  which  set  in  after  part  of  the  day 
obliged  us  to  continue  on  the  ground  for  this  day  and 
night.  The  troops  were  likewise  employed  in  drawing 
eight  days  provisions  (commencing  1st  day  of  September) . 
The  reason  of  drawing  this  great  quantity  at  one  time 
WTas  (however  inconsistent  with  that  economy  which  is 
absolutely  necessary  in  our  present  situation,  considering 
the  extensive  campaign  before  us,  and  the  time  of  conse 
quence  it  will  require  to  complete  it),  the  want  of  pack 


68  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

horses  for  transporting  the  same,  and  in  order  to  expedite 
this  great  point  in  view,  are  obliged  to  substitute  our 
soldiery  for  carrying  the  same. 

From  the  great  and  unparalleled  neglect  of  those  per 
sons  employed  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  the  western 
army  with  everything  necessary  to  enable  them  to  carry 
through  the  important  expedition  required  of  them, 
General  Sullivan  was  at  this  early  period  under  the  dis 
agreeable  necessity  of  issuing  the  following  address  to  the 
army,  which  was  communicated  by  the  commanding 
officers  to  their  corps  separately,  viz : 

GENERAL  SULLIVAN'S  ADDRESS 

"The  commander-in-chief  informs  the  troops  that  he 
used  every  effort  to  procure  proper  supplies  for  the 
army,  and  to  obtain  a  sufficient  number  of  horses  to 
transport  them,  but  owing  to  the  inattention  of  those 
whose  business  it  was  to  make  the  necessary  provision, 
he  failed  of  obtaining  such  an  ample  supply,  as  he  wished, 
and  greatly  fears  that  the  supplies  on  hand  will  not, 
without  the  greatest  prudence,  enable  him  to  complete 
the  business  of  the  expedition. 

"He  therefore  requests  the  several  brigadiers  and 
officers  commanding  corps  to  take  the  mind  of  the  troops 
under  their  respective  commands,  whether  they  will, 
whilst  in  this  country,  which  abounds  with  corn  and 
vegetables  of  every  kind,  be  content  to  draw  one  half 
of  flour,  one  half  of  meat,  and  salt  a  day.  And  he  desires 
the  troops  to  give  their  opinions  with  freedom  and  as 
soon  as  possible. 

"Should  they  generally  fall  in  with  the  proposal,  he 
promises  that  they  shall  be  paid  that  part  of  the  rations 
which  is  held  back  at  the  full  value  in  money. 


THE    NEW   SULLIVAN    MONUMENT 

On  the  Newtown  Battlefield,  near  Elmira,  Chemung  Co.,  N.  Y.     This  monument 

was  erected  in  1912  by  the  State  of  New  York,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000;  it  is 

60  feet  high,  and  15  feet  square  at  the  base,  and  can  be  seen 

for  miles    around. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  69 

"He  flatters  himself  that  the  troops  who  have  dis 
covered  so  much  bravery  and  firmness  will  readily  consent 
to  fall  in  with  a  measure  so  essentially  necessary  to 
accomplish  the  important  purpose  of  the  expedition, 
to  enable  them  to  add  to  the  laurels  they  have  already 
gained. 

"The  enemy  have  subsisted  for  a  number  of  days  on 
corn  onlys  without  either  salt,  meat,  or  flour,  and  the 
general  cannot  persuade  himself  that  troops,  who  so  far 
surpass  them  in  bravery  and  true  valour,  will  suffer  them 
selves  to  be  outdone  in  that  fortitude  and  perseverance, 
which  not  only  distinguishes  but  dignifies  the  soldier. 
He  does  not  mean  to  continue  this  through  the  campaign, 
but  only  wishes  it  to  be  adopted  in  those  places  where 
vegetables  may  supply  the  place  of  a  part  of  the  common 
ration  of  meat  and  flour,  which  will  be  much  better  than 
without  any. 

"The  troops  will  please  to  consider  the  matter,  and 
give  their  opinion  as  soon  as  possible." 

Agreeable  to  the  above  address,  the  army  was  drawn 
up  (this  evening)  in  corps  separately,  and  the  same, 
through  their  commanding  officers  made  known  to  them, 
and  their  opinions  requested  thereupon,  when  the  whole, 
without  a  dissenting  voice  cheerfully  agreed  to  the  request 
of  the  general,  which  they  signified  by  unanimously 
holding  up  their  hands  and  giving  three  cheers. 

This  remarkable  instance  of  fortitude  and  virtue 
cannot  but  endear  those  brave  troops  to  all  ranks  of 
people,  more  particularly  as  it  was  so  generally  and 
cheerfully  entered  into  without  a  single  dissenting  voice. 

TUESDAY,  AUGUST  31st. — Took  up  our  line  of  march 
in  usual  order  at  9  o'clock,  A.  M. ;  marched  about  four 
miles  and  a  half  through  a  broken  and  mountainous 


70  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

country,  and  an  almost  continuous  defile  on  the  east 
side  of  Cayuga  branch,  the  west  of  the  same  for  that  dis 
tance  was  an  excellent  plain,  on  which  large  quantities 
of  corn,  beans,  potatoes,  and  other  vegetables  stood, 
and  were  destroyed  by  us  the  preceding  day.  We  then 
crossed  Cayuga  branch,  where  it  forks  with  a  stream  of 
water  running  east  and  west,  and  landed  on  a  most  beauti 
ful  piece  of  country  remarkably  level.  On  the  banks 
of  the  same  stood  a  small  Indian  village,  which  was  im 
mediately  destroyed.  The  soldiers  found  great  quanti 
ties  of  furniture,  etc.,  which  was  buried,  some  of  which 
they  carried  off,  and  some  was  destroyed.  About  2 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  we  proceeded  along  the  path  which  leads 
to  Catherines  town  (an  Indian  village),  and  leaves  the 
Cayuga  branch  on  its  left.  About  5  o'clock,  p.  M.,  we 
encamped  on  a  most  beautiful  plain,  interspersed  with 
marshes,  well  calculated  for  meadows.  Wood  chiefly 
pine,  interspersed  with  hazel  bushes,  and  great  quanti 
ties  of  grass;  distance  of  march  this  day,  10  miles. 

WEDNESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  1st. — About  9  o'clock,  P.  M., 
whole  army  moved  together  in  good  order,  on  a  level 
piece  of  ground.  About  11  o'clock,  A.  M.,  we  entered  an 
extensive  hemlock  swamp,  not  less  than  six  miles  through; 
the  path  though  almost  impassible,  owing  to  the  number 
of  defiles,  long  ranges  of  mountains,  ravine  after  ravine, 
interspersed  with  thick  underwood,  etc.  The  infantry, 
with  the  greatest  difficulty,  got  through  about  half  past 
nine  o'clock,  P.  M.  The  remainder  of  the  army,  with  the 
pack  horses,  cattle,  etc.,  were  chiefly  the  whole  night 
employed  in  getting  through. 

As  the  infantry  were  approaching  Catherines  town  we 
were  alarmed  by  the  howling  of  dogs  and  other  great 


nn 


THE  MARKER  AT  WYSOX,  BRADFORD  CO.,  PA. 

Near  the  site  of  the  Indian  village  of  Wesauking.     Placed  by  the  Geo.  Clyner 
Chapter,  D.  A.  R.    in  1008. 


GENERAL   WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  71 

noise.  A  few  of  the  riflemen  were  dispatched  in  order 
to  reconnoitre  the  place.  In  the  meantime  we  formed  in 
two  solid  columns,  at  fixed  bayonets,  with  positive  orders 
not  a  man  to  fire  his  gun,  but  to  rush  on  in  case  the  enemy 
should  make  a  stand;  but  the  riflemen,  who  had  been  sent 
to  reconnoitre  the  town,  returned  with  the  intelligence 
the  enemy  had  left  it.  We  then  immediately  altered 
our  position  on  account  of  the  narrowness  of  the  road, 
and  marched  in  files  through  the  first  part  of  the  town, 
after  which  we  crossed  the  creek;  in  a  field  immediately 
opposite,  where  there  stood  a  number  of  houses  also, 
where  we  encamped,  and  substituted  the  timber  of  the 
houses  in  room  of  fire-wood.  On  our  arrival,  we  found 
a  number  of  fires  burning,  which  appeared  as  if  they  had 
gone  off  precipitately.  This  day's  march  completed 
12  miles. 

THURSDAY,  SEPT.  2d. — The  dismal  situation  of  our 
pack  horses  and  cattle,  of  which  several  were  killed  by 
falling  into  ditches,  and  several  otherwise  disabled  in 
getting  through  this  horrid  swamp  last  evening,  pre 
vented  our  march  this  morning.  The  fore  part  of  this 
day  was  entirely  employed  in  collecting  them,  which, 
from  their  scattered  and  dispersed  situation,  was  attended 
with  the  greatest  difficulty. 

We  this  morning  found  an  old  squaw,  who,  we  suppose, 
by  reason  of  her  advanced  age,  could  not  be  carried  off, 
and  therefore  was  left  to  our  mercy.  On  examining  her, 
she  informed  us  that  the  Indians,  on  our  approach  last 
evening,  went  off  very  precipitately;  that  the  women  and 
children  had  gone  off  in  the  morning  to  take  shelter  in 
some  mountains,  until  the  army  had  passed  them;  that 
Colonel  Butler  promised  he  would  send  back  some  war 
riors,  who  should  conduct  them  bye-ways  to  some  place 


72  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

of  safety.  She  further  adds,  that,  previous  to  the  squaws 
going  off,  there  was  great  contention  with  them  and  the 
warriors  about  their  going  off;  the  former  had  determined 
on  staying  and  submitting  to  our  generosity;  the  latter 
opposed  it,  and  informed  them  that,  by  such  a  step, 
the  Americans  would  be  able  to  bring  them  to  any  terms 
they  pleased;  whereas,  did  they  go  off,  they  would  have 
it  in  their  power  to  come  to  more  favourable  terms, 
should  a  treaty  of  any  kind  be  offered. 

Catherines  town  is  pleasantly  situated  on  a  creek, 
about  three  miles  from  Seneca  lake;  it  contained  nearly 
fifty  houses,  in  general,  very  good — the  country  near  is 
very  excellent.  We  found  several  very  fine  corn-fields, 
which  afforded  the  greatest  plenty  of  corn,  beans,  etc., 
of  which,  after  our  fatiguing  march,  we  had  an  agreeable 
repast.  After  getting  everything  in  perfect  readiness, 
we  took  up  our  line  of  march  at  7  o'clock  this  morning. 
The  roads  from  this  place  for  about  one  mile  were  rather 
difficult  and  swampy.  We  then  ascended  a  rising  country, 
which  was,  in  general,  level,  excepting  a  few  defiles  which 
we  had  to  pass,  but  were  by  no  reason  dangerous  or 
difficult.  The  lands  are  rich,  abounding  with  fine,  large, 
and  clear  timber,  chiefly  white  oak,  hickory,  walnut, 
and  ash;  bounded  on  the  left  for  about  three  miles  with 
excellent  marsh  or  meadow  ground,  after  which  proceeds 
the  beautiful  Seneca  lake,  which  abounds  with  all  kinds 
of  fish,  particularly  salmon,  trout,  rock,  that  which 
resembles  perch,  as  also  sheep-head. 

Previous  to  our  leaving  this  place,  the  squaw  which 
was  taken  here,  was  left, .  and  a  hut  erected,  of  which  she 
took  possession.  A  quantity  of  wood  was  also  gathered 
and  carried  to  the  hut  for  her  use;  she  was  also  provided 
with  a  quantity  of  provisions.  All  these  favours  had  such 
an  effect  on  her  that  it  drew  tears  from  her  savage  eyes. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  73 

It  is  about  three  miles  in  breadth,  and  about  forty 
miles  in  length.  Upon  the  right,  though  considerably 
up  the  country,  is  another  delightful  lake,  called  Kayuga 
lake;  abounds  with  all  kinds  of  fish  also,  and  is  about 
forty-six  miles  in  length. 

We  proceeded  along  this  beautiful  country  about  twelve 
miles,  and  encamped  near  a  corn-field,  on  which  stood 
several  Indian  cabins;  bearing  between  the  light  corps 
and  mam  army  an  advantageous  ravine,  and  bounded 
on  our  left  by  Seneca  lake. 

Previous  to  our  arrival  here  the  Indians  who  occupied 
the  cabins  already  mentioned,  probably  discovered  our 
approach,  pushed  off  precipitately,  leaving  their  ket 
tles  with  corn  boiling  over  the  fire.  During  our  march 
that  day  we  discovered  several  trees  with  the  following 
characters  newly  cut  on  them  by  those  savages  commanded 
by  Brandt  and  the  Butlers,  and  with  whom  we  had  the 
action  on  the  29th  ultimo. 

SATURDAY,  SEPT.  4th. — On  account  of  the  rain  this 
morning  the  army  did  not  move  until  10  o'clock,  A.  M. 
We  passed  through  a  delightful  level  country,  the  soil 
of  which  very  rich,  the  timber  fine  and  large,  interspersed 
with  hazel  bushes,  fine  grass  and  pea  vines.  On  our 
march  we  discovered  several  fires  burning,  which  fully 
intimated  some  of  the  savages  were  not  far  off  in  front  of 
us.  We  destroyed  several  fields  of  corn,  and,  after  a 
march  of  thirteen  miles,  we  encamped  in  the  woods,  in  the 
front  of  a  very  large  ravine,  and  about  half  a  mile  from 
Seneca  lake.  On  account  of  some  difficulties  with  the 
pack  horses,  etc.,  the  main  army  did  not  reach  so  far  as 
the  infantry,  and  encamped  about  two  miles  in  their  rear. 

SUNDAY,  SEPT.  5th. — About  9  o'clock  this  morning  the 
army  moved  through  a  country  much  the  same  as  yester- 


74  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

day.  About  12  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Canadia,  about 
three  miles  from  the  last  encampment,  where  we  encamped 
for  this  night.  Previous  to  our  arrival  we  entered  several 
corn-fields,  and  furnished  the  men  with  two  days  allow 
ance  of  the  same.  The  riflemen,  who  were  advanced, 
retook  a  prisoner  who  was  taken  last  year  by  the  savages 
on  the  east  branch  of  the  Susquehanna.  An  Indian,  who 
lay  concealed,  fired,  but  without  effect  on  our  riflemen,  and 
immediately  fled. 

On  examining  the  prisoner,  he  informed  us  that  Brandt, 
with  near  a  thousand  savages,  including  Butler's  rangers, 
left  the  town  last  Friday,  seemingly  much  frightened  and 
fatigued — that  they  were  pushing  for  Kanandauaga,  an 
Indian  village,  where  they  mean  to  make  a  stand  and  give 
us  battle.  He  further  informs  us  that,  exclusive  of  a 
considerable  number  of  savages  killed  and  wounded  in 
the  action  of  the  29th,  seven  Tories  were  killed;  that  all 
their  wounded,  with  some  dead,  were  carried  in  canoes 
up  the  Cayuga  branch — that  they  allow  they  sustained  a 
very  heavy  loss  in  that  action. 

Canadia  is  much  the  finest  village  we  have  yet  come  to. 
It  is  situated  in  a  rising  ground,  in  the  midst  of  an  exten 
sive  apple  and  peach  orchard,  within  half  a  mile  of  Seneca 
lake;  it  contains  about  forty  well  finished  houses,  and 
everything  about  it  seems  neat  and  well  improved. 

MONDAY,  SEPT.  6th. — The  fore  part  of  the  day  was 
entirely  employed  in  hunting  up  our  horses  and  cattle, 
a  number  of  which  were  lost.  About  2  o'clock  we  took 
up  our  line  of  march,  and  moved  about  three  miles, 
where  we  encamped  on  a  beautiful  piece  of  wood  land 
(interspersed  with  vast  quantities  of  pea  vines,  which 
served  for  food  for  our  horses),  our  rear  covered  by  the 
lake,  our  flank  by  considerable  ravines. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  75 

On  the  fourth,  while  on  our  march,  several  officers' 
waiters,  who  had  delayed  in  the  rear,  lost  the  path  along 
which  the  army  moved,  and,  towards  night,  found  them 
selves  near  an  Indian  village,  which  had  been  previously 
evacuated.  They  found  a  quantity  of  plunder,  which  they 
brought  off,  first  putting  the  town  in  flames.  A  captain 
and  a  party,  on  missing,  being  sent  in  pursuit,  and  fell 
in  with  them  as  they  were  returning  to  the  encamping 
place  occupied  by  the  army  the  preceding  day,  and  con 
ducted  them  safe  to  the  army  at  Canadia. 

An  express  from  Tioga,  where  packets,  etc.,  for  the 
army,  arrived  this  day  at  head-quarters — received  several 
letters  from  my  friends. 

TUESDAY,  SEPT.  7th. — At  half  past  seven  o'clock  the 
army  moved  and  arrived  at  the  head  of  the  lake  about 
2  o'clock,  P.  M.  The  country  we  passed  through  was 
exceedingly  fine,  and  chiefly  along  the  water  for  eight  miles 
and  a  half. 

About  3  o'clock,  P.  M.,  the  rifle  and  infantry  corps 
crossed  at  the  mouth  of  the  lake,  about  knee  deep,  and 
not  above  thirty  yards  wide.  On  our  arrival  on  the 
opposite  shore,  we  immediately  entered  a  dangerous  and 
narrow  defile,  bounded  on  the  left  by  the  head  of  Seneca 
lake,  and  on  our  right  by  a  large  morass  and  flooded  at 
intervals,  well  calculated  to  form  an  ambuscade.  From 
every  circumstance,  both  as  to  intelligence  and  the  great 
advantage  the  enemy  might  have  had  from  its  situation, 
we  fairly  expected  an  attack.  However,  we  moved  through 
in  files,  supported  by  the  two  flanking  divisions,  and  gained 
the  other  side.  The  main  army  then  crossed,  and  took 
our  place.  We  then  moved  through  a  second  defile, 
as  difficult  as  the  first,  and  formed  again  until  the  main 
army  possessed  themselves  of  the  same  ground  we  had 


76  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

just  left.  We  then  marched  and  passed  a  third  defile, 
and  formed  in  a  corn-field,  near  a  large  house,  which  was 
beautifully  situated  on  the  head  of  the  lake,  and  generally 
occupied  by  Butler,  one  of  the  savage  leaders. 

The  light  corps,  flanked  by  two  flanking  divisions, 
received  orders  to  move  and  gain  the  rear  of  the  town. 
The  main  army  took  the  path,  and  marched  immediately 
in  front  of  the  same;  but  the  enemy  no  doubt  having 
previous  notice  of  our  moTements,  had  abandoned  the 
town,  which  we  entered  about  dusk,  leaving  behind  them 
a  number  of  bear  and  deer  skins,  and  also  a  fine  white 
child  of  about  three  years  old. 

This  town  is  called  Kanadasaga,  and  appears  to  be  one 
of  their  capital  settlements;  about  it  is  a  fine  apple  or 
chard  and  a  council  house.  There  was  in  the  neighbour 
hood  a  great  quantity  of  corn,  beans,  etc.,  which,  after 
taking  great  quantities  for  the  use  of  the  army,  we  totally 
destroyed;  burned  the  houses,  which  were  in  number 
about  fifty,  and  girdled  the  apple  trees.  Distance  of 
march  this  day,  about  12  miles. 

WEDNESDAY,  SEPT.  8th. — This  day  we  lay  on  our 
ground;  the  rifle  corps,  with  several  other  parties,  were 
detached  down  the  lake  to  destroy  a  small  village,  called 
Gaghsiungua,  and  a  quantity  of  corn,  etc.,  in  this  neigh 
bourhood,  and  the  army  prepared  for  a  march  early 
tomorrow  morning. 

Various  opinions  prevailed  among  many  officers  about 
our  proceeding  any  further  on  account  of  our  provisions; 
but  General  Sullivan,  with  a  number  of  officers,  nobly 
resolved  to  encounter  every  difficulty  to  execute  the 
important  expedition,  and  deter  mined,  notwithstanding 
the  horrid  neglect  in  not  furnishing  us  with  provision, 
horses,  etc.,  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  carry  through  the 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  77 

expedition,  even  to  proceed  on  with  the  scanty  pittance, 
and  accomplish  the  arduous  task  of  destroying  the  whole 
Seneca  country. 

THURSDAY,  SEPTEMBER  9th. — On  account  of  a  number 
of  pack  horses  which  had  gone  astray  and  could  not  be 
found,  the  army  did  not  march  at  6  o'clock  agreeable  to 
yesterday's  orders.  A  command  of  fifty  men,  under  a 
captain,  returned  from  this  place  to  Tioga  to  escort  the 
sick  and  those  who  were  not  able  to  proceed  without 
retarding  the  march  of  the  army,  which  is  now  under  the 
necessity  on  account  of  our  wants  to  be  as  expeditious 
as  possible  to  complete  the  expedition;  all  those  pack 
horses  which  were  lame,  or  otherwise  reduced,  likewise 
returned. 

About  twelve  o'clock  the  army  marched;  their  first 
route  was  over  bushy  land,  interspersed  with  remark 
ably  wild  high  grass,  and  appeared  to  have  been  formerly 
cleared.  We  then  descended  into  an  extensive  maple 
swamp,  which  was  very  rich,  and  well  calculated  for 
meadow.  After  marching  several  miles,  we  came  to  a 
creek,  known  by  the  name  of  Flint  Creek,  which  the 
whole,  excepting  Clinton's  brigade,  crossed,  and  encamped 
on  a  plain  which  had  just  been  occupied  by  the  enemy  but 
a  few  days  before  for  the  same  purpose.  Distance  of 
march,  seven  miles. 

The  rifle  corps  who  yesterday  went  to  destroy  Gaghsiun- 
gua  this  evening  returned.  They  report  it  was  a  fine 
town,  well  improved,  with  a  great  quantity  of  corn  near 
the  same;  likewise,  an  abundance  of  beans,  water 
melons,  peaches,  and  all  kinds  of  vegetables,  the  whole  of 
which  they  totally  destroyed. 

FRIDAY,  SEPT.  10th. — At  8  o'clock  this  morning  the  army 
took  up  their  line  of  march  in  the  usual  order.  Their 


78  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

route,  about  four  miles,  continued  through  the  swamp, 
which,  in  some  places,  was  miry,  and  difficult  for  pack 
horses,  otherwise  the  foot  would  not  have  been  much 
retarded.  We  then  arrived  on  very  fine  ground  for  march 
ing,  which,  to  all  appearance,  was  old  cleared  fields,  as 
they  contained  a  great  quantity  of  wild  grass  as  high  as 
the  horses  in  many  places.  The  land  contained  in  this 
manner  (alternately  having  a  strip  of  wood  between) 
for  about  four  miles,  when  we  arrived  at  a  lake  (the  name 
I  could  not  learn),  which  appeared  to  be  a  mile  wide,  and 
six  or  seven  miles  hi  length.  We  marched  half  a  mile 
along  this  lake,  and  came  to  the  mouth,  which  we  crossed; 
the  water  was  not  knee  deep,  and  about  thirty  yards  over; 
but  it  narrowed  so  fast  that,  about  twenty  yards  from  the 
mouth,  it  was  not  in  width  more  than  five,  but  much  deep 
er.  We  then  moved  up  a  fine  country  from  the  lake, 
and  in  half  a  mile  came  to  Kanadalaugua,  beautifully 
situated  town,  containing  between  twenty  and  thirty 
houses,  well  finished,  chiefly  of  hewn  plank,  which  we 
immediately  burned,  and  proceeded  about  half  a  mile 
on  our  right,  where  we  found  a  large  field  of  corn,  squashes, 
beans,  etc.  At  this  place  we  encamped,  but  wrere  very 
badly  off  for  water,  having  none  but  what  we  sent  half  a 
mile  for,  and  that  very  bad.  The  Seneca  country,  from 
its  extreme  flatness,  having  no  good  springs,  which  is 
extremely  disagreeable  for  a  marching  army.  Distance 
of  march  this  day,  9  miles. 

In  this  town  a  dog  was  hung  up,  with  a  string  of  wam 
pum  round  his  neck,  on  a  tree,  curiously  decorated  and 
trimmed.  On  inquiry,  I  was  informed  that  it  was  a 
custom  among  the  savages  before  they  went  to  war  to 
offer  this  as  a  sacrifice  to  Mars,  the  God  of  war,  and 
praying  that  he  might  strengthen  them.  In  return 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  79 

for  those  favors,  they  promise  to  present  him  with  the 
skin  for  a  tobacco  pouch. 

SATURDAY,  SEPT.  llth. — Agreeable  to  orders  we  took 
up  our  line  of  march  this  morning  precisely  at  6  o'clock. 
We  moved  through  a  thicket  and  swamp  near  one  mile 
before  we  gained  the  main  path.  The  infantry,  on  ac 
count  of  this  difficult  swamp,  could  not  possibly  march 
in  the  usual  order,  without  being  considerably  dispersed. 
We  moved  along  this  path  for  about  three  miles,  after 
which  we  ascended  a  rising  ground;  the  country  remark 
ably  fine  and  rich,  covered  chiefly  with  pine,  oak,  and 
hickory  timber.  At  intervals  we  crossed  considerable 
clear  fields,  with  remarkably  high,  wild  grass.  About 
1  o'clock  we  descended  into  a  most  beautiful  valley, 
within  one  mile  of  an  Indian  village,  known  by  the  name 
of  Anyayea,  situate  on  a  fine  plain,  within  about  half 
a  mile  of  Anyayea  lake,  which  is  but  small  and  very  beauti 
ful,  and  abounds  with  all  kinds  of  fish.  This  town  con 
tains  about  twelve  houses,  chiefly  hewn  logs.  About  it 
are  several  large  corn-fields,  and  a  number  of  apple  and 
other  fruit  trees.  We  encamped  about  two  o'clock  for 
this  day,  after  completing  a  march  of  thirteen  miles. 

SUNDAY,  SEPT.  12th. — In  order  to  expedite  our  march, 
and  prevent  the  enemy  from  making  off  with  their  effects 
from  Jenese,  their  capital,  and  last  town  in  the  Seneca 
country,  it  was  determined  a  garrison  of  fifty  men,  with 
those  soldiers  who  were  not  very  able  to  march,  should 
continue  at  this  post,  in  order  to  guard  our  stores,  viz., 
ammunition  and  flour,  until  our  return. 

The  rain  having  set  in  very  heavy  this  morning,  we 
could  not  move  until  about  twelve  o'clock.  We  then 
began  to  march,  but,  on  account  of  a  defile  which  we  had 


80  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

to  cross,  could  not  march  in  the  usual  order.  After  pass 
ing  the  same,  we  took  up  our  line  of  march  as  usual,  and 
ascended  a  rising  piece  of  ground.  After  marching  about 
five  miles,  we  came  to  a  lake,  which  we  crossed  at  the 
mouth,  being  about  knee  deep,  and  about  ten  yards  over. 
We  then  ascended  another  rising  piece  of  ground,  com 
posed  of  exceedingly  fine,  rich  land,  with  large  oak  and 
hickory  timber,  and  at  intervals,  with  marsh  or  swamp, 
well  calculated  for  meadow  ground.  After  arriving 
within  half  a  mile  of  Kanaghsas,  a  small  Indian  village, 
which  was  previously  destined  for  this  day's  march, 
night  set  in,  and  the  main  army  being  at  least  a  mile 
in  our  rear,  we  received  orders  to  encamp  for  this  night, 
which  was  hi  the  woods,  and  exceedingly  ill  calculated 
for  that  purpose,  no  water  being  nearer  than  half  a  mile. 
This  day's  march  completed  twelve  hours. 

After  we  encamped,  Lieutenant  Boyd,  of  the  rifle  corps, 
some  volunteers,  and  as  many  riflemen,  made  up  six  and 
twenty  in  the  whole,  were  sent  up  to  reconnoitre  the  town 
of  Jenese,  having  for  their  guide  an  Oneida  Indian, 
named  Hanjost,  a  chief  of  that  tribe,  who  has  been 
remarkable  for  his  attachment  to  this  country,  having 
served  as  a  volunteer  since  the  commencement  of  the 
war. 

MONDAY,  SEPT.  13th. — This  morning  before  daylight 
we  left;  the  general  beat,  on  which  the  tents  were  immedi 
ately  struck,  and  in  half  an  hour  the  army  marched  into 
the  town  of  Kanaghsas,  which  contained  ten  houses, 
situate  on  a  flat  near  the  head  of  a  small  lake.  The 
flat  contained  a  great  quantity  of  corn,  and  vegetables 
of  all  kinds,  which  were  remarkably  well  tended.  At 
this  place  we  halted,  to  draw  provisions,  viz.,  beef  (half 
allowance),  and  to  destroy  the  town,  corn,  etc. 


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GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  81 

Four  men  of  Lieutenent  Boyd's  party  this  morning 
returned,  bringing  information  of  the  town  of  Gagsuqui- 
lahery  (which  they  took  for  Jenese —  being  abandoned. 
About  12  o'clock  we  were  alarmed  by  some  Indians 
firing  and  giving  chase  to  Mr.  Lodge  and  a  few  men  who 
went  forward  to  survey.  They  wounded  a  corporal, 
who  died  next  day,  and  chased  them  until  one  of  our  camp 
sentinels  fired  on  them  and  stopped  their  career. 

Lieutenant  Boyd  having  retired  from  the  town  of 
Gaghsuquilahery  to  await  for  the  arrival  of  the  main 
army,  which  was  detained  longer  than  he  expected,  he 
sent  back  two  men  to  know  the  cause ;  these  two  men  had 
not  gone  far  before  they  discovered  a  few  Indians  ahead. 
They  then  retired  and  informed  Lieutenant  Boyd,  who 
immediately,  with  his  party,  gave  chase,  and  followed 
them  within  about  two  miles  and  a  half  from  the  main 
army,  where  a  body  of  savages,  of  at  least  four  or  five 
hundred,  lay  concealed,  and  probably  intended  giving 
the  main  army  (the  ground  being  favorable  on  their  side), 
a  fire,  and  push  off  according  to  custom,  who  immediately 
surrounded  him  and  his  party.  He  nobly  fought  them 
for  some  considerable  time;  but,  by  their  great  superiority, 
he  was  obliged  to  attempt  a  retreat,  at  the  same  time 
loading  and  firing  as  his  party  ran. 

The  Indians  killed,  and  in  the  most  inhuman  manner, 
tomahawked  and  scalped  six  that  were  found.  Nine  of 
the  party  have  got  safe  in;  but  Lieutenant  Boyd  and 
Hanjost  (the  Indian  already  mentioned),  with  seven 
others,  are  yet  missing,  one  of  whom  we  know  is  a  prisoner, 
as  one  Murphy,  a  rifleman  of  the  party,  who  made  his 
escape,  saw  him  in  their  possession.  This  Murphy  is  a 
noted  marksman,  and  a  great  soldier,  he  having  killed  and 
scalped  that  morning,  in  the  town  they  were  at,  an  Indian, 


82  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

which  makes  three  and  thirtieth  man  of  the  enemy  he 
has  killed,  as  is  well  known  to  his  officers,  this  war. 

There  being  a  swamp  or  morass  totally  impassable  for 
our  horses,  in  front  of  Kanaghsas,  the  infantry  and  rifle 
corps  passed  over,  and  ascended  the  hill,  wherein  Indians 
lay,  in  hopes  to  come  up  with  them;  but  they  had  fled, 
leaving  behind  them  upwards  of  one  hundred  blankets, 
a  great  number  of  hats,  and  many  other  things,  which  we 
took,  and  then  halted  until  the  main  army  arrived,  they 
having  first  been  obliged,  in  order  to  enable  them  to  move, 
to  throw  a  hedge  over  the  morass. 

The  whole  then  took  up  their  line  of  march,  and  pro- 
ceded  to  the  town  of  Gaghsuquilahery,  through  the  finest 
country  I  almost  ever  saw,  without  exception.  Before 
dusk  we  arrived  within  sight  of  the  town.  The  Indians, 
having  thrown  themselves  in  a  wood  on  the  opposite 
side,  the  following  disposition  for  an  attack  was  im 
mediately  ordered  to  take  place,  viz.;  the  infantry, 
with  the  artillery,  to  push  on  in  front;  General  Maxwell's 
brigade,  with  the  left  flanking  division,  to  endeavour 
to  gain  the  enemy's  right;  General  Poor's  brigade  to  move 
and  gain  their  left;  the  right  flanking  division,  and  two 
regiments  from  General  Clinton's  brigade  to  move  round 
Poor's  right  flank;  the  infantry  to  rush  on  in  front, 
supported  by  the  remainder  of  Clinton's  brigade.  We 
then  moved  forward,  and  took  possession  of  the  town 
without  opposition,  the  enemy  flying  before  us  across  a 
branch  of  Genesee  river,  through  a  thicket,  where  it  was 
impossible  for  us  to  follow,  we  not  being  acquainted  with 
the  country,  and  night  having  set  in.  We  received  orders 
to  encamp,  after  making  a  march  of  eight  and  a  half 
miles. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  83 

TUESDAY,  SEPT.  14th. — Previous  to  our  march  this 
morning  parties  were  ordered  out  to  destroy  the  corn, 
which  they  did,  plucking  and  throwing  it  into  the  river. 
About  11  o'clock  we  took  up  our  line  of  march  and  pro 
ceeded  for  Jenese,  the  last  and  capital  settlement  of  the 
Seneca  country;  the  whole  crossed  a  branch  of  the  Jenise 
river,  and  moved  through  a  considerable  swamp,  and 
formed  on  a  plain  the  other  side,  the  most  extensive 
I  ever  saw,  containing  not  less  than  six  thousand  acres 
of  the  richest  soil  that  can  be  conceived,  not  having  a 
bush  standing,  but  filled  with  grass  considerably  higher 
than  a  man.  We  moved  up  this  plain  for  about  three 
miles  in  our  regular  line  of  march,  which  was  a  beautiful 
site,  as  a  view  of  the  whole  could  be  had  at  one  look,  and 
then  came  to  Jenise  river,  which  we  crossed,  being  about 
forty  yards  over,  and  near  middle  deep,  and  then  ascended 
a  rising  ground,  which  afforded  a  prospect  which  was  so 
beautiful  that,  to  attempt  a  comparison,  would  be  doing 
an  injury,  as  we  had  a  view  as  far  as  our  eyes  could  carry 
us  of  another  plain,  besides  the  one  we  crossed,  through 
which  the  Jenise  river  formed  a  most  beautiful  winding, 
and,  at  intervals,  cataracts,  which  rolled  from  the  rocks, 
and  emptied  into  the  river. 

We  then  marched  on  through  a  rough  but  rich  country, 
until  we  arrived  at  the  capital  town,  which  is  much  the 
largest  we  have  yet  met  with  in  our  whole  route,  and  en 
camped  about  the  same. 

At  this  place  we  found  the  body  of  the  brave  but 
unfortunate  Lieutenant  Boyd,  and  one  rifleman,  mas 
sacred  in  the  most  cruel  and  barbarous  manner  that  the 
human  mind  can  possibly  conceive;  the  savages  having 
put  them  to  the  most  excruciating  torments  possible, 
by  first  plucking  their  nails  from  their  hands,  then  spear- 


84  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

ing,  cutting,  and  whipping  them,  and  mangling  their 
bodies,  then  cutting  off  the  flesh  from  their  shoulders 
by  pieces,  tomahawking  and  severing  their  heads  from 
their  bodies,  and  then  leaving  them  a  prey  to  their  dogs. 
We  likewise  found  one  house  burned,  in  which,  probably, 
was  a  scene  as  cruel  as  the  former. 

This  evening  the  remains  of  Lieutenant  Boyd  and  the 
riflemen's  corpse  wrere  interred  with  military  honors. 
Mr.  Boyd's  former  good  character,  as  a  brave  soldier, 
and  an  honest  man,  and  his  behaviour  in  the  skirmish  of 
yesterday  (several  of  the  Indians  being  found  dead,  and 
some  seen  carried  off),  must  endear  him  to  all  friends  of 
mankind.  May  his  fate  await  those  who  have  been  the 
cause  of  his.  Oh!  Britain,  behold  and  blush.  Jenise 
town,  the  capital  of  the  Seneca  nation,  is  pleasantly 
situated  on  a  rich  and  extensive  flat,  the  soil  remarkably 
rich,  and  great  parts  well  improved  with  fields  of  corn, 
beans,  potatoes,  and  all  kinds  of  vegetables.  It  con 
tained  one  hundred  and  seven  well  finished  houses. 

WEDNESDAY,  SEPT.  15th. — This  morning  the  whole 
army,  excepting  a  covering  party,  were  engaged  in  destroy 
ing  the  corn,  beans,  potatoes,  and  other  vegetables, 
which  were  in  quantity  immense,  and  in  goodness  un- 
equaled  by  any  I  ever  yet  saw.  Agreeable  to  a  moderate 
calculation,  there  was  not  less  than  two  hundred  acres, 
the  whole  of  which  was  pulled  and  piled  up  in  large  heaps, 
mixed  with  dry  wood,  taken  from  the  houses,  and  con 
sumed  to  ashes.  About  3  o'clock,  p.  M.,  the  business  was 
finished,  and  the  immediate  object  of  this  expedition 
completed,  viz.,  the  total  ruin  of  the  Indian  settlements, 
and  the  destruction  of  their  crops.  The  following  is  a 
part  of  the  orders  issued  this  day,  viz : 

"The  commander-in-chief  informs  this  brave  and  reso 
lute  army  that  the  immediate  objects  of  this  expedition 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  85 

are  accomplished,  viz:  total  ruin  of  the  Indian  settle 
ments,  and  the  destruction  of  their  crops,  which  were 
designed  for  the  support  of  those  inhuman  barbarians, 
while  they  were  desolating  the  American  frontiers.  He 
is  by  no  means  insensible  of  the  obligations  he  is  under 
to  those  brave  officers  and  soldiers  whose  virtue  and  forti 
tude  have  enabled  him  to  complete  the  important  design 
of  the  expedition,  and  he  assures  them  he  will  not  fail 
to  inform  America  at  large  how  much  they  stand  indebted 
to  them.  The  army  will  this  day  commence  its  march 
for  Tioga." 

Previous  to  our  leaving  Jenise,  a  woman  with  a  child 
came  in  to  us,  who  had  been  taken  prisoner  last  year  near 
Wyoming,  and  fortunately  made  her  escape  from  the 
savages.  She,  with  her  bantling,  was  almost  starved  for 
want  of  food;  she  informs  us  that  the  Indians  have  been 
in  great  want  all  last  spring — that  they  subsisted 
entirely  on  green  corn  this  summer — that  their  squaws 
were  fretting  prodigiously,  and  continually  teasing  their 
warriors  to  make  peace — that  by  promises  by  Butler  and 
his  minions,  they  are  fed  up  with  great  things  that 
should  be  done  for  them — that  they  seem  considerably 
cast  down  and  frightened;  and,  in  short,  she  says  distress 
and  trouble  seem  painted  on  their  countenances.  Dis 
tance  of  march  this  day,  six  miles. 

THURSDAY,  SEPT.  15th. — After  destroying  several 
corn-fields,  we  took  up  our  line  of  march  about  11  o'clock, 
A.  M.,  and  proceeded  towards  Kanaghsas.  Previous  to 
our  arrival  there,  parties  were  ordered  out  to  reconnoitre 
the  woods,  and  gather  the  bodies  of  those  soldiers  who  fell 
in  the  skirmish  of  the  13th.  Fourteen,  including  those 
six  mentioned  in  my  journal  of  the  13th,  were  found, 
and  buried  with  military  honors.  The  sight  was  most 


86  A  HEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

shocking,  as  they  were  all  scalped,  tomahawked,  and  most 
inhumanly  mangled.  Amongst  those  unfortunate  men 
was  Hanjost,  the  volunteer  Indian,  who  fared  equally 
with  the  rest.  About  six  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Kanaghsas, 
and  encamped.  We  found  several  corn-fields,  which 
were  immediately  laid  waste.  Our  march  this  day,  9 
miles. 

FEIDAY,  SEPT.  17th. — About  5  o'clock  this  morning  the 
general  beat,  the  tents  were  struck,  and  the  line  of  march 
taken  up  about  6  o'clock.  We  arrived  at  Anyeay  about 
12  o'clock,  being  the  place  our  stores,  with  a  garrison,  was 
left.  It  was  not  with  little  satisfaction  that  we  found 
everything  safe.  We  were  not  without  our  apprehensions 
about  them,  on  account  of  the  intelligence  we  were  fearful 
the  enemy  might  have  collected  from  the  unfortunate 
prisoners  who  fell  in  their  hands  on  the  13th.  We  en 
camped  in  the  same  order  and  on  the  same  ground  as  on 
the  llth  inst. 

SATURDAY,  SEPT.  18th. — This  morning  about  8  o'clock 
the  army  moved;  the  rear  was  ordered  (before  they  left 
the  ground)  to  kill  all  such  horses  as  were  unable  to  move 
along,  lest  they  should  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands. 
On  our  route  we  fell  in  with  several  Oneida  Indians  (our 
friends),  who  seemed  much  rejoiced  at  our  great  success 
against  the  Seneca  nations.  We  arrived  about  6  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  at  the  east  side  of  the  Kanadauga  lake,  where  we 
encamped,  after  completing  a  march  of  thirteen  miles 
and  a  half. 

SUNDAY,  SEPT.  19th. — The  army  moved  at  eight  o'clock 
this  morning  in  the  usual  order;  excepting  a  few  obstruc 
tions  they  met  with  passing  through  several  swamps, 
they  marched  remarkably  steady.  On  our  route  we  were 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  87 

met  by  an  express  from  Tioga,  who  brought  a  number 
of  letters  and  papers  informing  us  of  Spain  declaring  war 
against  Great  Britain.  They  also  brought  us  the  agree 
able  intelligence  of  a  good  supply  for  the  army  having 
come  on  to  Newton  (about  twenty  miles  above  Tioga),  to 
meet  us.  This  agreeable  intelligence  conspired  to  make 
us  exceedingly  happy,  as  we  had  not  only  been  a  long 
time  entirely  in  the  dark  with  respect  to  home  news, 
but  the  disagreeable  reflection  of  half  allowance  was 
entirely  dispelled.  We  pursued  our  march  until  we 
arrived  at  Kanadasaga,  which  was  about  dusk.  When 
the  infantry  got  up;  we  encamped  on  the  same  ground, 
and  in  the  same  position,  as  on  the  7th,  after  completing 
a  march  of  fifteen  miles. 

MONDAY,  SEPT.  20th. — The  greater  part  of  the  day  was 
employed  at  head-quarters  in  holding  a  council  in  conse 
quence  of  the  intercession  made  by  sone  Oneida  Indians 
(our  friends)  in  favour  of  the  Cayuga  tribe,  who  had  been 
for  some  time  past  in  alliance  with  the  Senecas,  and  acted 
with  them,  and  are  now  desirous  to  make  peace  with  us. 
The  council  determined  no  treaty  should  be  held  with 
them  and  a  command  of  five  hundred  infantry,  with  Major 
Parr's  rifle  corps,  were  immediately  detached  and  sent 
to  Cayuga  lake,  on  which  their  settlement  lay,  with  orders 
to  lay  wait  and  destroy  their  towns,  corn,  etc.,  and  receive 
none  of  them  but  in  the  characters  of  prisoners  of  war. 
Col.  Smith,  with  two  hundred  men,  was  also  dispatched 
down  the  north  side  of  the  Seneca  lake  in  order  to  finish 
the  destruction  of  Gausiunque,  an  Indian  village  about 
eight  miles  below  Canadasaga.  Colonel  Gainsworth, 
with  one  hundred  men,  was  likewise  detached,  and  sent 
to  Fort  Stanwix  for  some  business,  from  whence  he  is  to 


88  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

proceed  to  head-quarters  on  the  north  river,  and  join  the 
main  army. 

About  4  o'clock,  p.  M.,  the  army  took  up  their  line  of 
march,  and  moved  steadily.  About  half  past  five  they 
reached  and  crossed  the  outlet  of  Seneca  lake,  and  en 
camped  about  one  mile  beyond  the  same. 

TUESDAY,  SEPT.  21st. — The  army  marched  this  morning 
about  eight  o'clock,  and  continued  moving  steadily  until 
we  passed  Canadia  about  two  miles,  where  we  encamped, 
near  the  lake.  Previous  to  our  marching  this  morning, 
Colonel  Dearbourn,  with  a  command  of  two  hundred  men, 
marched  to  destroy  a  town  on  the  north  side  of  Cayuga 
lake,  distance  of  march  this  day,  13  miles. 

THURSDAY,  SEPT.  23d. — About  8  o'clock  this  morning 
the  army  marched,  and  arrived  at  Catherines  town  about 
2  o'clock,  P.  M.,  where  we  made  a  small  halt.  We  found 
at  this  place  the  old  Indian  squaw  who  was  left  here  on 
our  march  up  the  country.  General  Sullivan  gave  her 
a  considerable  supply  of  flour  and  meat,  for  which, 
tears  in  her  savage  eyes,  she  expressed  a  great  deal  of 
thanks.  During  our  absence  from  this  place  a  young 
squaw  came  and  attended  on  the  old  one;  but  some 
inhuman  villian  who  passed  through  killed  her.  What 
made  this  crime  still  more  heinous  was,  because  a  manifesto 
was  left  with  the  old  squaw  positively  forbidding  any 
violence  or  injury  should  be  committed  on  the  women  or 
children  of  the  savages,  by  virtue  of  which  it  appears 
this  young  squaw  came  to  this  place,  which  absolutely 
comes  under  the  virtue  of  a  breach  of  faith,  and  the 
offender  ought  to  be  severely  punished. 

I  went  to  view,  in  company  with  a  number  of  gentle 
men,  a  very  remarkable  fall  of  water,  which  is  about  one 
mile  above  this  place.  Its  beauty  and  elegance  surpass 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  89 

almost  anything  I  ever  saw.  The  fall  is  not  less  then  two 
hundred  feet.  About  3  o'clock  the  army  moved  about 
three  miles  further,  and  encamped  on  a  plain  at  the  en 
trance  of  the  great  swamp,  after  completing  a  march  of 
thirteen  miles  and  a  half. 

FRIDAY,  SEPT.  24th. — This  morning  precisely  at  8 
o'clock  the  army  moved,  and  continued  their  route 
through  the  hemlock  swamp  mentioned  in  the  1st  inst., 
meeting  with  much  fewer  obstructions  than  we  expected, 
owing  to  the  very  dry  weather  which  we  had  had  for  this 
month  past.  After  passing  through  the  same  we  came  to 
a  fine  open  country,  and  soon  arrived  at  Kanawaluhery, 
where  there  was  a  post  established  with  a  reinforcement 
of  stores,  which  was  a  most  pleasing  circumstance,  as 
the  last  was  issued,  and  that  at  half  allowance  at  Kana- 
dasaga.  On  our  arrival,  the  garrison  saluted  with  the 
discharge  of  thirteen  cannon,  which  complement  was 
returned  them  by  the  army. 

SATURDAY,  SEPT.  25th. — In  consequence  of  the  acces 
sion  of  the  King  of  Spain  to  the  American  alliance,  and  the 
generous  proceedings  of  the  present  Congress  in  augment 
ing  the  subsistence  of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  army, 
General  Sullivan  ordered  five  head  of  the  best  cattle,  viz : 
one  for  the  use  of  the  officers  of  each  brigade,  with  five 
gallons  of  spirits  each,  to  be  delivered  to  them  respectively, 
thereby  giving  them  an  opportunity  of  testifying  their 
joy  on  this  occasion. 

In  the  evening  the  whole  was  drawn  up  and  fired  a 
feu-de-joie,  thirteen  cannon  being  first  discharged.  The 
infantry  then  commenced  a  running  fire  through  the  whole 
line,  which,  being  repeated  a  second  time,  the  whole  army 
gave  three  cheers,  viz:  one  for  the  United  States  of 
America,  one  for  Congress,  and  one  for  our  new  ally., 
the  King  of  Spain. 


90  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

The  army  being  then  dismissed,  General  Hand,  with 
the  officers  of  his  brigade,  attended  by  the  officers  of  the 
park  or  artillery,  repaired  to  a  bowery,  erected  for  that 
purpose,  where  the  fatted  bullock  was  served  up  (dressed 
in  different  ways),  the  whole  seated  themselves  on  the 
ground  around  the  same,  which  afforded  them  a  most 
agreeable  repast.  The  officers  being  very  jovial,  and  the 
evening  was  spent  in  great  mirth  and  jollity. 

After  dinner  the  following  toasts  were  drank,  the  drums 
and  fifes  playing  at  intervals. 

1st.     The  thirteen  states  and  their  sponsers. 

2d.     The  honourable,  the  American  Congress. 

3d.     General  Washington  and  the  American  Army. 

4th.  The  commander-in-chief  of  the  western  expedi 
tion. 

5th.     The  American  navy. 

6th.     Our  faithful  allies,  the  united  houses  of  Bourbon. 

7th.  May  the  American  Congress,  and  all  her  legisla 
tive  representatives,  be  endowed  with  virtue  and  wisdom, 
and  may  her  independence  be  as  firmly  established  as  the 
pillars  of  time. 

8th.  May  the  citizens  of  America,  and  her  soldiers, 
be  ever  unanimous  in  the  reciprocal  support  of  each  other. 

9th.  May  altercations,  discord,  and  every  degree  of 
fraud,  be  totally  banished  the  peaceful  shores  of  America. 

10th.  May  the  memory  of  brave  Lieutenant  Boyd, 
and  the  soldiers  under  his  command,  who  were  horribly 
massacred  by  the  inhuman  savages,  or  by  their  more 
barbarous  and  detestable  allies,  the  British  and  Tories, 
on  the  13th  inst.,  be  ever  dear  to  his  country. 

llth.  An  honourable  peace  with  America,  or  perpetual 
war  with  her  enemies. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  91 

12th.  May  the  kingdom  of  Ireland  merit  a  stripe  in  the 
American  standard. 

13th.  May  the  enemies  of  America  be  metamor 
phosed  into  pack  horses,  and  sent  on  a  western  expedition 
against  the  Indians. 

An  express  with  dispatches  for  General  Sullivan, 
from  Philadelphia,  arrived  this  morning,  by  whom  I 
received  a  packet  enclosing  the  commissions  for  my 
officers. 

About  11  o'clock,  A.  M.,  the  command  under  Colonel 
Dearbourn,  who  left  us  the  21st  of  June  to  proceed  to 
Cayuga  lake,  returned,  bringing  two  squaw  prisoners; 
he  having,  in  his  route,  destroyed  several  towns  and  a 
great  quantity  of  fine  corn. 

MONDAY,  SEPT.  27th. — The  detachment  ordered  to 
march  yesterday  moved  this  morning  up  Tioga  branch 
to  an  Indian  village,  about  twelve  miles  from  this  place, 
with  orders  to  destroy  the  same. 

Coleman  and  Caldwell,  two  of  my  soldiers,  after  wander 
ing  for  seven  days  in  the  wilderness,  found  and  joined  us 
at  this  place.  They  subsisted,  during  their  absence, 
on  the  hearts  and  livers  of  two  dead  horses  which  they 
found  on  the  path  along  which  the  army  had  marched. 

At  dusk,  this  evening,  the  detachment  which  marched 
this  morning  returned,  after  destroying  a  considerable 
quantity  of  corn,  beans,  and  other  vegetables,  sixteen  boat 
loads  of  which  they  brought  with  them  for  the  use  of 
the  army;  they  also  burned  a  small  village. 

TUESDAY,  SEPT.  28th. — Several  commands  were  ordered 
out  this  day,  viz.,  one  up  and  the  other  down  the  Tioga 
branch,  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  corn,  etc.,  of  which 
there  was  a  great  quantity  left  on  our  march  towards  the 
Seneca  country. 


92  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

All  the  lame  and  sick  soldiers  of  the  army  were  this 
day  ordered  to  go  to  Tioga  in  boats,  and  the  pack  horses 
least  able  for  other  duty. 

Colonel  Butler,  with  his  command,  after  laying  waste 
and  destroying  the  Cayuga  settlements,  and  corn,  etc., 
of  which  there  was  a  great  quantity,  returned,  and  joined 
the  army  about  10  o'clock  this  morning. 

WEDNESDAY,  SEPT.  29th. — The  army  marched  this 
morning  about  8  o'clock,  and  continued  moving  steadily 
until  we  passed  Chemung  about  one  mile,  where  we 
encamped  on  the  same  ground,  and  in  the  same  position, 
as  on  the  27th.  The  two  commands  ordered  out  yester 
day  morning  returned,  and  joined  the  army  at  this  place 
about  9  o'clock,  p.  M.,  after  destroying  large  quantities 
of  corn,  beans,  and  other  vegetables. 

THURSDAY,  SEPT.  30th. — This  morning  about  8  o'clock 
the  army  moved.  About  2  o'clock  they  arrived  at  Tioga 
plains,  near  Fort  Sullivan,  where  the  whole  formed  in 
regular  line  of  march,  and  moved  into  the  garrison  in 
the  greatest  order,  when  we  were  received  with  military 
honours,  the  garrison  turning  out  with  presented  arms 
and  a  salute  of  thirteen  rounds  from  their  artillery,  which 
complement  was  returned  them  from  the  park  of  artillery 
with  the  army. 

Colonel  Shrieve,  governor  of  the  garrison,  had  an  ele 
gant  dinner  provided  for  the  general  and  field  officers 
of  the  army.  We  regaled  ourselves,  and  great  joy  and 
good  humor  was  visible  in  every  countenance.  Colonel 
Proctor's  band,  and  drums  and  fifes  played  in  concert 
the  whole  time. 

FRIDAY,  OCT.  1st. — This  morning  the  horses  belonging 
to  the  officers  of  the  brigade  were  forwarded  to  Wyoming. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  93 

We  also  sent  our  cow  which  we  had  along  with  us  the  whole 
expedition,  and  to  whom  we  are  under  infinite  obligations 
for  the  great  quantity  of  milk  she  afforded  us,  which 
rendered  our  situation  very  comfortable,  and  was  no 
small  addition  to  our  half  allowance. 

This  afternoon  Colonel  Brewer,  General  Sullivan's 
secretary,  set  off  to  Congress  with  the  dispatches,  which 
contained  a  relation  of  the  great  success  of  the  expedition. 

SATURDAY,  OCT.  2d. — This  day  the  commander-in- 
chief  made  an  elegant  entertainment,  and  invited  all  the 
general  and  field  officers  of  the  army  to  dine  with  him. 

In  the  evening,  to  conclude  the  mirth  of  the  day,  we 
had  an  Indian  dance.  The  officers  who  joined  in  it 
putting  on  visors  (alias  Monetas).  The  dance  was 
conducted  and  led  off  by  a  young  Sachem  of  the  Oneida 
tribe,  who  was  next  followed  by  several  other  Indians, 
then  the  whole  led  off,  and,  after  the  Indian  custom, 
danced  to  the  music,  which  was  a  rattle,  a  knife,  and  a 
pipe,  which  the  Sachem  continued  clashing  together  and 
singing  Indian  the  whole  time.  At  the  end  of  each,  the 
Indian  whoop  was  set  up  by  the  whole. 

SUNDAY,  OCT.  3d. — Agreeable  to  the  orders  of  yester 
day,  the  garrison  of  Fort  Sullivan  this  day  joined  their 
respective  corps,  and  the  fort  was  demolished.  The 
stores  and  other  baggage  with  the  park  of  artillery  were 
put  on  board  the  boats,  and  every  other  matter  put  in 
perfect  readiness  to  move  with  the  army,  on  their  route 
to  Wyoming,  tomorrow  morning  at  5  o'clock. 

The  young  Sachem,  with  several  Oneida  Indians, 
relatives  and  friends  of  the  unfortunate  Indian  Hanjost, 
who  bravely  fell  with  the  party  under  command  of  the 
much  lamented  Lieutenant  Boyd  on  the  13th  ult.,  who 


94  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

faithfully  acted  as  guide  to  the  army,  left  us  this  day,  well 
pleased  (after  bestowing  some  presents  on  them) ,  for  their 
native  place,  the  Oneida  country. 

The  German  regiment,  which  composed  a  part  of  the 
flanking  divisions  of  the  army,  was  this  day  ordered  to 
join  and  do  duty  with  the  third  Pennsylvania  brigade, 
commanded  by  Gen.  Hand. 

MONDAY,  OCT.  4th. — This  day  about  8  o'clock  the  army 
took  up  their  line  of  march.  We  arrived  at  Wessaukin 
about  6  o'clock  in  the  evening,  after  completing  a  march 
of  fifteen  miles.  On  account  of  the  rain,  marching  was 
rather  disagreeable  this  day. 

On  my  arrival  at  this  place  I  received  a  letter,  with 
some  newspapers,  etc.,  from  his  excellency,  President 
Read,  which  contained  agreeable  news,  etc. 

WEDNESDAY,  OCT.  6th. — About  8  o'clock  this  morning 
the  whole  embarked  again,  and  moved,  paying  no  atten 
tion  to  order  down  the  river. 

THURSDAY,  OCT.  7th. — Embarked  about  6  o'clock,  and 
kept  on  steadily  until  we  arrived  at  Wyoming.  About 
3  o'clock,  P.  M.,  the  whole  army  landed  and  encamped 
on  the  same  ground,  and  in  the  same  order,  as  on  the 
30th  of  July. 

Thus,  by  the  perseverance,  good  conduct,  and  deter 
mined  resolution  of  our  commander-in-chief,  with  the 
assistance  of  his  council,  and  the  full  determination  of 
his  troops  to  execute,  have  we  fully  accomplished  the  great 
end  and  intentions  of  this  important  expedition;  and  I 
flatter  myself  we  fully  surpassed  the  most  sanguine  expec 
tation  of  those  whose  eyes  were  more  immediately  looking 
to  us  for  success. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  95 

The  glorious  achievements  we  have  exhibited  in  extend 
ing  our  conquests  so  far,  and,  at  the  same  time,  render 
them  so  very  complete,  will  make  no  inconsiderable 
balance  even  in  the  present  politics  of  America.  Its 
future  good  consequences  I  leave  to  the  eloquence  of 
time  to  declare,  which  will,  in  ages  hence,  celebrate  the 
memory  of  those  brave  sons  who  nobly  risked  their  lives, 
disdaining  every  fatigue  and  hardship,  to  complete  a 
conquest,  the  rear  good  effects  and  advantages  of  which 
posterity  will  particularly  enjoy. 

Whilst  I  revere  the  merit  and  virtue  of  the  army,  I 
am  sorry  I  am  under  the  necessity  of  mentioning  that 
there  was  an  unparalleled  and  unpardonable  neglect 
(and  which  ought  not  to  pass  with  impunity),  in  those 
whose  business  it  was  to  supply  them  with  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  necessaries  to  carry  them  through  the  expedi 
tion,  instead  of  which  not  more  than  twenty-two  days 
flour,  and  sixteen  days  meat  was  on  hand  when  it  com 
menced.  And,  although  the  army  possessed  a  degree  of 
virtue,  perhaps  unparalleled  in  the  annals  of  history, 
in  undertaking  an  expedition  on  half  allowance,  which 
was  in  every  instance  hazardous  and  imperious,  yet, 
had  we  not  been  favored  with  the  smiles  of  Providence, 
in  a  continuation  of  good  weather,  the  half  allowance 
itself  would  not  have  enabled  us  to  perform  what,  from 
that  circumstance,  we  have. 

End  of  Col.  Hubley's  Journal. 


CHAPTER  IV 

GENERAL  SULLIVAN  TELLS  THE  STORY 

THE  chronicle  of  his  expedition  against  the  Iro- 
quois  in  1779 — The  Devastation  of  the  Genesee 
Country. 

*TEAGO,  Sept.  30,  1779. 

Sir:  In  mine  of  the  30th  ultimo  to  His  Excellency 
George  Washington,  and  by  him  transmitted  to  Congress, 
I  gave  an  account  of  the  victory  obtained  by  this  army 
over  the  enemy  at  Newtown,  on  the  29th  of  August.  I  now 
do  myself  the  honor  to  inform  Congress  of  the  progress 
of  this  army,  and  the  most  material  occurrences  which 
have  since  taken  place. 

The  time  taken  up  in  destroying  the  corn,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Newtown,  employing  the  army  near  two 
days,  and  there  appearing  a  probability  that  the  destruc 
tion  of  all  the  crops  might  take  a  much  greater  length 
of  time  than  was  first  apprehended,  and  being  likewise 
convinced,  by  an  accurate  calculation,  that  it  could  not 
be  possible  to  effect  the  destruction  of  the  Indian  country 
with  the  provisions  on  hand,  which  was  all  I  had  in  store, 
and  indeed  all  I  had  pack  horses  to  transport  from  Teago; 
in  this  situation  I  could  think  of  but  one  expedient  to 
answer  the  purposes  of  the  expedition,  which  was  to 
prevail  if  possible,  on  the  soldiers  to  content  themselves 
with  half  a  pound  of  flour  and  the  same  quantity  of  fresh 
beef  per  day,  rather  than  leave  the  important  business 
unfinished.  I  therefore  drew  up  an  address  to  them,  a 
copy  of  which  I  have  the  honor  to  enclose  you,  which 


(*Tioga  Point  (Athens,  Pa.) 

96 


GENERAL   WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  97 

being  read,  was  answered  by  three  cheers  from  the  whole 
army.  Not  one  dissenting  voice  was  heard  from  either 
officer  or  soldier.  I  had  then  on  hand,  from  the  best 
calculation  I  could  make,  twenty-two  pounds  of  flour  and 
sixteen  pounds  of  beef  per  man;  the  former  liable  to  many 
reductions  by  rains,  crossing  rivers  and  defiles;  the  lat 
ter  much  more  so,  from  the  almost  unavoidable  loss  of 
cattle,  when  suffered  to  range  the  woods  at  night  for  their 
support.  I  was,  however,  encouraged  in  the  belief,  that 
I  should  be  enabled  to  effect  the  destruction  and  total 
ruin  of  the  Indian  territories  by  this  truly  noble  resolu 
tion  of  the  army,  for  which,  I  know  not  whether  the  public 
stand  more  indebted  to  the  persuasive  arguments  which 
the  officers  began  to  use,  or  to  the  virtuous  disposition 
of  the  soldiers,  whose  prudent  and  cheerful  compliance 
with  the  requisition  anticipated  all  their  wishes,  and 
rendered  persuasion  unnecessary. 

I  sent  back  all  my  heavy  artillery  on  the  night  of  the 
30th,  retaining  only  four  brass  three  pounders,  and  a 
small  howitzer;  loaded  the  necessary  ammunition  on 
horseback,  and  marched  early  on  the  31st  for  Catherine's 
Town.  On  our  way  we  destroyed  a  small  settlement 
of  eight  houses,  and  a  town  called  Konowhola,  of  about 
twenty  houses,  situated  on  a  peninsular  at  the  conflux 
ot  the  Teago  and  Cayuga  branches.  We  also  destroyed 
several  fields  of  corn.  From  this  point  Colonel  Dayton 
was  detached  with  his  regiment  and  the  rifle  corps  up  the 
Teago  about  six  miles,  who  destroyed  several  large  fields 
of  corn.  The  army  resumed  their  march,  and  encamped 
within  thirteen  miles  and  a  half  of  Catherine's  Town, 
where  we  arrived  the  next  day,  although  we  had  a  road 
to  open  for  the  artillery,  through  a  swamp  nine  miles 
in  extent,  and  almost  impervious.  We  arrived  near 


98  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

Catherine's  Town  in  the  night,  and  moved  on,  in  hopes 
to  surprise  it,  but  found  it  forsaken.  On  the  next  morn 
ing  an  old  woman  belonging  to  the  Cayuga  nation  was 
found  in  the  woods.  She  informed  me  that  on  the  night 
after  the  battle  of  Newtown,  the  enemy,  having  fled  the 
whole  night,  arrived  there  in  great  confusion  early  the 
next  day;  that  she  heard  the  warriors  tell  their  women 
they  were  conquered  and  must  fly;  that  they  had  a  great 
many  killed  and  vast  numbers  wounded.  She  likewise 
heard  the  lamentations  of  many  at  the  loss  of  their  con 
nections.  In  addition  to  this,  she  assured  us,  that  some 
of  her  warriors  had  met  Butler  at  this  place  and  desired 
him  to  return  and  fight  again.  But  to  this  request  they 
could  obtain  no  satisfactory  answer,  for,  as  they  observed, 
"Butler's  mouth  was  closed."  The  warriors  who  had 
been  in  the  action  were  equally  averse  to  the  proposal, 
and  would  think  of  nothing  but  flight,  and  removal  of 
their  families;  that  they  kept  runners  on  every  mountain 
to  observe  the  movements  of  our  army,  who  reported 
early  in  the  day  on  which  we  arrived,  that  our  advance 
was  very  rapid;  upon  which  all  those  who  had  not  been 
before  sent  off,  fled  with  precipitation,  leaving  her  without 
any  possible  means  of  escape.  She  said  that  Brandt  had 
taken  most  of  the  wounded  up  the  Teago  in  canoes.  I  was, 
from  many  circumstances,  fully  convinced  of  the  truth 
and  sincerity  of  her  declaration,  and  the  more  so,  as  we 
had,  the  day  we  left  Newtown,  discovered  a  great  number 
of  bloody  packs,  arms  and  accoutrements,  thrown  away 
in  the  road,  and  in  the  woods  each  side  of  it.  Besides 
which,  we  discovered  a  number  of  recent  graves,  one  of 
which  has  been  since  opened,  containing  the  bodies  of 
two  persons  who  had  died  by  wounds. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  99 

These  circumstances,  when  added  to  that  of  so  many 
warriors  being  left  dead  on  the  field,  a  circumstance 
not  common  with  Indians,  were  sufficient  to  corroborate 
the  woman's  declaration,  and  to  prove  what  I  before 
conjectured,  that  the  loss  of  the  enemy  was  much  greater 
than  was  at  first  apprehended.  I  have  never  been  able 
to  ascertain,  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  what  force 
the  enemy  opposed  to  us  at  Newtown,  but  from  the  best 
accounts  I  have  been  able  to  collect,  and  from  the  opinion 
of  General  Poor,  and  others,  who  had  the  best  oppor 
tunity  of  viewing  their  numbers,  as  well  as  from  the 
extent  of  their  lines,  I  suppose  them  to  have  been  1,500, 
though  the  two  prisoners,  whom  I  believe  totally  ignorant 
of  the  number  at  any  post  but  their  own,  as  well  as  of 
the  enemy's  disposition,  estimate  them  only  at  eight 
hundred,  while  they  allow  that  five  companies  of  rangers, 
all  the  warriors  of  Seneca,  and  six  other  nations,  were 
collected  at  this  place.  In  order  to  determine  their 
force  with  as  much  accuracy  as  in  my  power,  I  examined 
their  breastworks,  and  found  the  extent  more  than  half  a 
mile.  Several  bastions  ran  out  in  its  front  to  flank  the 
lines  in  every  part.  A  small  block-house,  formerly  a 
dwelling,  was  also  manned  in  the  front.  The  breastwork 
appeared  to  have  been  fully  manned,  though  I  supposed 
with  only  one  rank.  Some  parts  of  their  works  being 
low,  they  were  obliged  to  dig  holes  in  the  ground  to  cover 
themselves  in  part.  This  circumstance  enabled  me  to 
judge  the  distance  between  their  men  in  the  works. 
A  very  thin  scattering  line,  designed,  as  I  suppose,  for 
communicating  signals,  was  continued  from  those  works 
to  that  part  of  the  mountain  which  General  Poor  ascended , 
where  they  had  a  very  large  body,  which  was  designed, 
I  imagined,  to  fall  on  our  flank.  The  distance  from  the 


100  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

breastwork  to  this  was  at  least  one  mile  and  a  half.  From 
thence  to  the  hill  in  the  rear  of  our  right,  was  another 
scattering  line  of  about  one  mile,  and  on  the  hill  a  breast 
work  with  a  strong  party,  destined,  as  it  is  supposed,  to 
fall  on  our  rear.  But  General  Clinton  being  ordered  so 
far  to  the  right  occasioned  his  flank  to  pass  the  mountain, 
which  obliged  them  to  abandon  their  post.  From  these 
circumstances,  as  well  as  from  the  opinions  of  others, 
I  cannot  conceive  their  numbers  to  be  less  than  what 
I  have  before  mentioned. 

The  army  spent  one  day  at  Catherine's  destroying 
corn  and  fruit  trees.  We  burnt  the  town,  consisting  of 
thirty  houses.  The  next  day  we  encamped  near  a  small 
scattering  settlement  of  about  eight  houses  and  two  days 
after  reached  Kendaia,  which  we  also  found  deserted. 
Here  one  of  the  inhabitants  of  Wioming,  who  had  been 
last  year  captured  by  the  enemy,  escaped  from  them 
and  joined  us.  He  informed  us  that  the  enemy  had  left 
the  town  in  the  greatest  confusion  three  days  before  our 
arrival.  He  said  he  had  conversed  with  some  of  the 
Tories  on  their  return  from  the  action  at  Newtown,  who 
assured  him  they  had  great  numbers  killed  and  wounded, 
and  there  was  no  safety  in  flight.  He  heard  Butler 
tell  them  he  must  try  to  make  a  stand  at  Kanadasaga ;  but 
they  declared  they  would  not  throw  away  their  lives  in 
vain  attempt  to  oppose  such  an  army.  He  also  heard 
many  of  the  Indian  women  lamenting  the  loss  of  their 
connections  and  added  that  Brandt  had  taken  most  of 
the  wounded  up  the  Teago  in  water  crafts  which  had  been 
provided  for  that  purpose  in  case  of  necessity.  It  was 
his  opinion  that  the  King  of  Kanadasaga  was  killed  as  he 
saw  him  go  down  but  did  not  return  and  gave  a  descrip 
tion  of  his  person  and  dress  corresponding  with  those  of 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  101 

one  found  on  the  field  of  action.  Kendaia  consisted  of 
about  twenty  houses  which  were  reduced  to  ashes,  the 
houses  were  neatly  built  and  finished.  The  army  spent 
a  day  neatly  at  this  place,  in  destroying  corn  and  fruit 
trees  of  which  there  was  a  great  abundance.  Many  of  the 
trees  appeared  to  be  of  great  age.  On  the  next  day  we 
crossed  the  outlet  of  the  Seneca  Lake  and  moved  in  three 
divisions  through  the  woods  to  encircle  Kanadasaga, 
but  found  if  otherwise  abandoned.  A  white  child  of 
about  three  years  old,  doubtless  the  offspring  of  some 
unhappy  captive,  was  found  here  and  carried  with  the 
army. 

A  detachment  of  four  hundred  men  was  sent  down  on 
the  west  side  of  the  lake  to  destroy  Gothseunquean  and 
the  plantations  in  the  same  quarters;  at  the  same  time 
a  number  of  volunteers  under  Colonel  Harper,  made  a 
forced  march  towards  Cayuga  Lake  and  destroyed 
Schoyere  while  the  residue  of  the  army  were  employed 
in  destroying  the  corn  at  Kanadasaga  of  which  there 
was  a  large  quantity.  This  town  consisted  of  fifty  houses 
and  was  pleasantly  situated.  In  it  we  found  a  great 
quantity  of  fruit  trees  which  were  destroyed  with  the 
town.  The  army  then  moved  on  and  in  two  days  ar 
rived  at  Kanandaque,  having  been  joined  on  the  march 
by  the  detachment  sent  along  the  Seneca  Lake  which 
had  been  almost  two  days  employed  in  destroying  the 
crops  and  settlements  in  that  quarter.  At  Kanadaque 
we  found  twenty-three  very  elegant  houses  mostly  finished 
and  in  general,  large.  Here  we  also  found  very  extensive 
fields  of  corn,  which  having  been  destroyed,  we  marched 
for  Hannayaye,  a  small  town  of  ten  houses,  which  we 
also  destroyed. 


102  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

At  this  place  we  established  a  post  leaving  a  strong 
garrison,  our  heavy  stores  and  one  field  piece  and  pro 
ceeded  to  Chinesee,  which  the  prisoners  informed  us  was 
the  grand  capital  of  the  Indian  country,  that  Indians 
of  all  nations  had  been  planting  there  this  spring;  that 
all  the  Rangers  and  some  British  had  been  employed  in 
assisting  them  in  order  to  raise  sufficient  supplies  to  sup 
port  them  while  destroying  our  frontiers,  and  that  they, 
themselves,  had  worked  three  weeks  for  the  Indians 
when  planting.  This  information  determined  me  at  all 
events  to  reach  that  settlement,  though  the  state  of  my 
provisions,  much  reduced  by  unavoidable  accidents, 
almost  forbade  the  attempt.  My  flour  had  been  much 
reduced  by  the  failure  of  pack  horses  and  in  the  passage 
of  creeks  and  defiles;  and  twenty-seven  of  the  cattle  had 
been  unavoidably  lost.  We  however  marched  on  for  the 
Chinesee  town  and  on  the  second  day  reached  a  town  of 
twenty-five  houses,  called  Koneghsaws.  Here  we  found 
some  large  corn  fields  which  part  of  the  army  destroyed 
while  the  other  part  were  employed  in  building  a  bridge 
over  an  unfordable  creek  between  this  and  Chinesee. 

I  had  the  preceding  evening  ordered  out  an  officer  with 
three  or  four  riflemen,  one  of  our  guides  and  an  Oneida 
chief  to  reconnoitre  the  Chinesee  town,  that  we  might,  if 
possible,  surprise  it.  Lieutenant  Boyd  was  the  officer 
entrusted  with  this  service,  who  took  with  him  twenty- 
three  men,  volunteers  from  the  same  corps,  and  a  few 
from  Colonel  Butler's  regiment,  making  in  all  twenty- 
six,  a  much  larger  number  than  I  had  thought  of  sending, 
and  by  no  means  so  likely  to  answer  the  purpose  as  that 
which  had  been  directed.  The  guides  were  by  no  means 
acquainted  with  the  country,  mistook  the  road  in  the  night, 
and  at  daybreak  fell  in  with  a  castle  six  miles  higher  up 
than  Chinesee,  inhabited  by  a  tribe  called  Squatchegas. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  103 

Here  they  saw  a  few  Indians,  killed  and  scalped  two, 
the  rest  fled.  Two  runners  were  immediately  dispatched 
to  me  with  the  account  and  informed  that  the  party  were 
on  their  return.  When  the  bridge  was  almost  completed 
some  of  them  came  in  and  told  us  that  Lieutenant  Boyd 
and  men  of  his  party  were  almost  surrounded  by  the 
enemy;  that  the  enemy  had  been  discovering  themselves 
before  him  for  some  miles;  that  his  men  had  killed  two 
and  were  eagerly  pursuing  the  rest;  but  soon  found  them 
selves  almost  surrounded  by  three  or  four  hundred  Indians 
and  rangers.  Those  of  Mr.  Boyd's  men  who  were  sent  to 
secure  his  flanks  fortunately  made  their  escape;  but  he 
with  fourteen  of  his  party  and  the  Oneida  chief  being  in 
the  centre,  were  completely  encircled.  The  light  troops 
of  the  army  and  the  flanking  divisions  were  immediately 
detached  to  their  relief;  but  arrived  too  late,  the  enemy 
having  destroyed  the  party  and  escaped. 

It  appears  that  our  men  had  taken  to  a  small  grove, 
the  ground  around  it  being  clear  on  every  side  for  several 
rods,  and  there  fought  till  Mr.  Boyd  was  shot  through  the 
body,  and  his  men  all  killed  except  one,  who,  with  his 
wounded  commander  was  made  prisoner.  The  firing 
was  so  close,  before  this  brave  party  were  destroyed, 
that  the  powder  of  the  enemy's  muskets  was  driven 
into  their  flesh.  In  this  conflict  the  enemy  must  have 
suffered  greatly,  as  they  had  no  cover,  and  our  men  were 
possessed  of  a  very  advantageous  one.  This  advantage 
of  ground  the  obstinate  bravery  of  the  party,  with  some 
other  circumstances,  induced  me  to  believe  their  loss 
must  have  been  very  considerable.  They  were  so  long  em 
ployed  in  removing  and  secreting  their  dead,  that  the 
advance  of  General  Hand's  party  obliged  them  to  leave 
one  alongside  the  riflemen,  and  at  least  a  wagon  load  of 


104  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

packs,  blankets,  hats  and  provisions,  which  they  had 
thrown  off  to  enable  them  to  act  with  more  agility  in 
the  field.  Most  of  these  appeared  to  have  appertained 
to  the  rangers.  Another  reason  which  induces  me  to 
suppose  they  suffered  much  was  the  unparalleled  tortures 
they  inflicted  upon  the  brave  and  unfortunate  Boyd,  whose 
body,  with  that  of  the  equally  unfortunate  companion, 
was  found  at  Chinesee.  It  appeared  that  they  had  whip 
ped  them  in  the  most  cruel  manner,  pulled  out  Mr. 
Boyd's  nails,  cut  off  his  nose,  plucked  out  one  of  his  eyes, 
cut  out  his  tongue,  stabbed  him  with  spears  in  sundry 
places,  and  inflicted  other  tortures  which  decency  will 
not  permit  me  to  mention;  lastly,  cut  off  his  head,  and 
left  his  body  on  the  ground  with  that  of  his  unfortunate 
companion,  who  appeared  to  have  experienced  nearly 
the  same  savage  barbarity.  The  party  Mr.  Boyd  fell 
in  with,  was  commanded  by  Butler,  posted  on  an  advan 
tageous  piece  of  ground,  in  order  to  fire  upon  our  army 
when  advancing;  but  they  found  their  design  frustrated 
by  the  appearance  of  this  party  in  their  rear. 

The  army  moved  on  that  day  to  the  castle  last  men 
tioned,  which  consisted  of  twenty-five  houses,  and  had 
very  extensive  fields  of  corn,  which  being  destroyed,  we 
moved  on  the  next  day  to  Chinesee,  crossing  in  our  route 
a  deep  creek  and  the  Little  Seneca  river;  and  after  march 
ing  six  miles  we  reached  the  Castle,  which  consisted  of 
128  houses,  mostly  large  and  elegant.  The  town  was 
beautifully  situated,  almost  encircled  with  a  cleared  flat, 
which  extended  for  a  number  of  miles,  covered  by  the 
most  extensive  fields  of  corn,  and  every  kind  of  vegetable 
that  can  be  conceived.  The  whole  army  was  immediately 
engaged  in  destroying  the  crops.  The  corn  was  collected 
and  burned  in  houses  and  kilns,  so  the  enemy  might  not 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  105 

reap  the  least  advantage  from  it,  which  method  we  have 
pursued  in  every  other  place.  Here  a  woman  came  to  us 
who  had  been  captured  at  Wioming.  She  told  us  the 
enemy  evacuated  the  town  two  days  before;  that 
Butler  at  the  same  time  went  off  with  three  or  four  hun 
dred  Indians  and  rangers,  as  he  said,  to  get  a  shot  at  our 
army.  This  was  undoubtedly  the  party  which  cut  off 
Lieutenant  Boyd.  She  mentioned  they  kept  runners 
constantly  out,  and  that  when  our  army  was  in  motion, 
the  intelligence  was  communicated  by  a  yell,  immediately 
on  which  the  greatest  terror  and  confusion  apparently 
took  place  among  them.  The  women  were  constantly 
begging  the  warriors  to  sue  for  peace,  and  that  one  of  the 
Indians  had  attempted  to  shoot  Colonel  Johnson  for  the 
falsehoods  by  which  he  had  deceived  and  ruined  them; 
that  she  overheard  Butler  telling  Johnson  that  it  was 
impossible  to  keep  the  Indians  together  after  the  battle 
of  Newtown;  that  he  thought  they  must  soon  be  in  a 
miserable  situation,  as  all  their  crops  would  be  destroyed, 
and  that  Canada  could  not  supply  them  with  provisions 
at  Niagara;  that  he  would  endeavor  to  collect  the  war 
riors  to  assist  in  the  defense  of  that  fort,  which  he  was  of 
opinion  this  army  would  lay  siege  to,  and  the  women 
and  children  he  would  send  to  Canada.  After  having 
destroyed  this  town,  beyond  which  I  was  informed  there 
was  no  settlement,  and  destroyed  all  their  houses  and 
crops  in  that  quarter,  the  army  having  been  advancing 
seventeen  days  with  the  supply  of  provisions  before 
mentioned,  and  that  much  reduced  on  the  march  by 
accidents,  and  the  Cayuga  country  being  as  yet  unpene- 
trated,  I  thought  it  necessary  to  return  as  soon  as  possible 
in  order  to  effect  the  destruction  of  the  settlements  in 
that  quarter.  The  army  therefore  began  its  march  to 
Kanadasaga. 


106  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

I  was  met  on  the  way  by  a  sachem  from  Oneida  and  three 
warriors,  one  of  whom  I  had  sent  from  Catherine's  with 
a  letter,  a  copy  of  which  I  have  the  honor  to  enclose  to 
Congress.  They  delivered  me  a  message  from  the  war 
riors  of  that  nation  respecting  the  Cayugas;  copies  of 
that  and  my  answer  I  also  enclose  from  this  place.  I 
detached  Colonel  Smith  with  a  party  down  the  west  side 
of  the  Lake  to  destroy  the  corn  which  had  not  been  cut 
down,  and  to  destroy  anything  further  which  might  be 
discovered  there.  I  then  detached  Colonel  Gansevoort 
with  one  hundred  men  to  Albany  to  forward  the  baggage 
of  the  York  regiments  to  the  main  army,  and  to  take  with 
him  such  soldiers  as  were  at  that  place.  I  directed  him 
to  destroy  the  lower  Mohawk  castle  in  his  route,  and 
capture  the  inhabitants,  consisting  of  six  or  seven  families 
who  were  constantly  employed  in  giving  intelligence  to 
the  enemy,  and  in  supporting  their  scouting  parties 
when  making  incursions  on  our  frontiers.  When  the 
Mohawks  joined  the  enemy,  those  few  families  were 
undoubtedly  left  to  answer  such  a  purpose  and  to  keep 
possession  of  their  lands.  The  upper  castle  now  inhabi 
ted  by  Orkeskes,  our  friends,  he  was  directed  not  to  dis 
turb.  With  him  I  sent  Mr.  Deane,  who  bore  my  answer 
to  the  Oneidas. 

I  then  detached  Colonel  Butler  with  six  hundred  men 
to  destroy  the  Cayuga  country,  and  with  him  sent  all 
the  Indian  warriors  who  had  said  if  they  could  find  the 
Cayugas  they  would  endeavor  to  persuade  them  to 
deliver  themselves  up  as  prisoners ;  the  chief  of  them  called 
Teguttelawana  being  a  near  relation  to  the  sachem.  I 
then  crossed  the  Seneca  river  and  detached  Colonel 
Dearborn  to  the  west  side  of  the  Cayuga  lake  to  destroy 
all  the  settlements  which  might  be  found  there  and  to 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  107 

intercept  the  Cayugas  if  they  attempted  to  escape  Colonel 
Butler.     The  residue  of  the  army  passing  on  between  the 
lakes,   toward  Catherines.     Colonel  Dearborn  burnt  in 
his  route  six  towns,  including  one  which  had  been  before 
partly  destroyed  by  a  small  party;  destroying  at  the  same 
time  quantities  of  corn.     He  took  an  Indian  lad  and 
three  women  prisoners, — one  of  the  women  being  very 
old  and  the  lad  a  cripple;    he  left  them,  and  brought 
on  the  other  two  and  joined  the  army  on  the  evening  of 
the  26th.     Colonel  Courtland  was  then  detached  with 
300  men  up  the  Teago  branch  to  search   for  settlements 
in  that  quarter;   and  in  the  space  of  two  days  destroyed 
several  fields  of  corn  and  burnt  several  houses.     Colonel 
Butler  joined  the  army  on  the  28th  whereby  a  complete 
junction  was  formed  at  Conowaloala  on  the  29th  day 
after  our  leaving  New  town.   Here  we  were  met  by  plenty 
of  provisions,  from  Teago,  which  I  had  previously  directed 
to  be  sent  on.     Colonel  Butler  destroyed  in  the  Cayuga 
country  five  principal  towns  and  a  number  of  scattering 
houses,  the  whole  making  about  one  hundred  in  number, 
exceedingly  large  and  well  built.     He  also  destroyed  two 
hundred  acres  of  excellent  corn  with  a  number  of  orchards, 
one  of  which  had  in  it  1,500  fruit  trees.     Another  Indian 
settlement   was   discovered   near   Newtown   by  a  party, 
consisting  of  39  houses,  which  were  also  destroyed.     The 
number  of  towns  destroyed  by  this  army  amounted  to 
40    besides  scattering    houses.     The    quantity    of    corn 
destroyed,  at  a  moderate  computation,  must  amount  to 
160,000  bushels,  with  a  vast  quantity  of  vegetables  of 
every   kind.     Every   creek  and  river  has   been   traced, 
and   the  whole  country  explored   in   search  of  Indian 
settlements,  and  I  am  well  persuaded  that,  except  one 
town  situated  near  the  Allegana,  about  50  miles  from 


108  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

Chinesee,  there  is  not  a  single  town  left  in  the  country 
of  the  Five  Nations. 

It  is  with  pleasure  I  inform  Congress  that  this  army 
has  not  suffered  the  loss  of  forty  men  in  action  or  other 
wise  since  my  taking  the  command;  though  perhaps  few 
troops  have  experienced  a  more  fatiguing  campaign. 
Besides,  the  difficulties  which  naturally  attend  marching 
through  an  enemy's  country,  abounding  in  woods,  creeks, 
rivers,  mountians,  morasses  and  defiles,  we  found  no 
small  inconvenience  from  the  want  of  proper  guides,  and 
the  maps  of  the  country  are  so  exceedingly  erroneous 
that  they  serve  not  to  enlighten  but  to  perplex.  We  had 
not  a  person  who  was  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the 
country  to  conduct  a  party  out  of  the  Indian  path  by 
day,  or  scarcely  in  it  by  night;  though  they  were  the 
best  I  could  possibly  procure.  Their  ignorance,  doubt 
less  arose  from  the  Indians  having  ever  taken  the  best 
measures  in  their  power  to  prevent  their  country's  being 
explored.  We  had  much  labor  in  clearing  out  the  roads 
for  the  artillery,  notwithstanding  which,  the  army  moved 
from  twelve  to  sixteen  miles  every  day  when  not  detained 
by  rains,  or  employed  in  destroying  settlements. 

I  feel  myself  much  indebted  to  the  officers  of  every 
rank  for  their  unparalleled  exertions,  and  to  the  soldiers 
for  the  unshaken  firmness  with  which  they  endured  the 
toils  and  difficulties  attending  the  expedition.  Though 
I  had  it  not  in  command  I  should  have  ventured  to  have 
paid  Niagara  a  visit,  had  I  been  supplied  with  fifteen 
days  provisions  in  addition  to  what  I  had,  which  I  am 
persuaded  from  the  bravery  and  ardor  of  our  troops 
would  have  fallen  into  our  hands. 

I  forgot  to  mention  that  the  Oneida  sachem  requested 
me  to  grant  his  people  liberty  to  hunt  in  the  country  of 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  109 

the  Five  Nations,  as  they  would  never  think  of  settling 
again  in  a  country  once  subdued,  and  where  their  settle 
ments  must  ever  be  in  our  power.  I,  in  answer,  informed 
him  that  I  had  no  authority  to  grant  such  a  license; 
that  I  could  not  at  present  see  reason  to  object  to  it, 
but  advised  them  to  make  application  to  Congress,  who, 
I  believed,  would,  in  consideration  of  their  friendly 
conduct  grant  them  every  advantage  of  this  kind  that 
would  not  interfere  with  our  settlement  of  the  country, 
which  I  believed  would  soon  take  place.  The  Oneidas 
say  that  as  no  Indians  were  discovered  by  Colonel  Butler 
at  Cayuga,  they  are  of  opinion  they  are  gone  to  their 
castle,  and  that  their  Chiefs  will  persuade  them  to  come 
in  and  surrender  themselves  on  the  terms  I  have  pro 
posed.  The  army  began  its  march  from  Conowalohala 
yesterday,  and  arrived  here  this  evening.  After  leaving 
the  necessary  force  for  securing  the  frontiers  in  this 
quarter,  I  shall  move  on  to  join  the  main  army. 

It  would  have  been  very  pleasing  to  this  army  to  have 
drawn  the  enemy  to  a  second  engagement,  but  such  a 
panic  seized  them  after  the  first  action  that  it  was  impos 
sible,  as  they  never  ventured  themselves  in  reach  of  the 
army,  nor  have  they  fired  a  single  gun  at  it  on  its  march  or 
in  its  quarters,  though  in  a  country  exceeding  well  cal 
culated  for  ambuscades.  This  circumstance  alone  would 
sufficiently  prove  that  they  suffered  severely  in  their 
first  effort. 

Congress  will  please  pardon  the  length  of  this  narration, 
as  I  thought  a  particular  and  circumstantial  detail  of 
facts  would  not  be  disagreeable,  especially  as  I  have 
transmitted  no  accounts  of  the  progress  of  this  army 
since  the  action  of  the  29th  of  August.  I  flatter  myself 
that  the  orders  with  which  I  was  entrusted  are  fully 


110  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

executed,  as  we  have  not  left  a  single  settlement  or  field 
of  corn  in  the  country  of  the  Five  Nations,  nor  is  there  even 
the  appearance  of  an  Indian  on  this  side  of  Niagara. 
Messengers  and  small  parties  have  been  constantly 
passing,  and  some  imprudent  soldiers  who  straggled  from 
the  army,  mistook  the  route  and  went  back  almost  to 
Chinesee  without  discovering  even  the  track  of  an  Indian. 
I  trust  the  steps  I  have  taken  with  respect  to  the  Oneidas, 
Cayugas  and  Mohawks  will  prove  satisfactory;  and  he  re 
I  beg  leave  to  mention  that  in  searching  the  houses  of 
those  pretended  neutral  Cayugas,  a  number  of  scalps 
were  found,  which  appeared  to  have  been  lately  taken, 
which  Colonel  Butler  showed  to  the  Oneidas,  who  said 
that  they  were  then  convinced  of  the  justice  of  the  steps 
I  had  taken.  The  promise  made  to  the  soldiers  in  my 
address  at  Newtown  I  hope  will  be  thought  reasonable 
by  Congress,  and  flatter  myself  that  the  performance 
of  it  will  be  ordered. 

Colonel  Bruin  will  have  the  honor  of  delivering  these 
dispatches  to  your  Excellency.  I  beg  leave  to  recommend 
him  to  the  particular  notice  of  Congress,  as  an  officer  who, 
on  this  as  well  as  several  other  campaigns,  has  proved 
himself  an  active,  brave,  and  truly  deserving  officer. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  the  most  exalted  elements 
of  esteem  and  respect,  your  Excellency's  most  obedient 
and  ever  humble  servant, 

JOHN  SULLIVAN. 
His  Excellency  John  Jay,  Esq. 

Some  of  those  who  were  Sullivan's  subordinate  officers 
during  the  Western  Expedition,  said  afterwards  that  the 
above  report  which  he  rendered  to  Congress,  was  a 
"pompous  account  of  his  military  peregrinations." 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  111 

While  it  is  an  account  of  his  "military  peregrinations," 
the  word  "pompous"  should  be  omitted.  True,  it 
is  written  in  the  florid  style  of  the  18th  century,  but  we 
should  remember  that  the  revolutionary  period  was  one 
of  great  formality  and  dignity  both  in  manners  and  speech, 
and  in  writing  the  way  he  did,  Sullivan  was  only  adhering 
to  the  custom  of  his  time. 

One  reason  why  he  was  disliked  in  certain  quarters 
was  on  account  of  his  mental  caliber,  as  one  authority 
has  said,  "Sullivan  always  had  the  best  intelligence  of 
any  man  in  the  army,"  and  we  all  know  that  the  greater 
a  man  is,  the  greater  will  be  the  number  of  his  enemies. 
Washington  always  entertained  a  great  regard  for  him 
and  a  man  had  to  possess  some  pretty  sterling  qualities 
in  order  to  gain  and  hold  the  friendship  of  "The  father  of 
his  country."  That  Washington  was  no  believer  in  form 
ing  quick  friendships  will  be  seen  by  a  perusal  of  the 
following  advice  contained  in  a  letter  from  him  to  his 
nephew,  Bushrod  Washington,  written  in  1783,  in  which 
he  advises  the  young  man  to  be  courteous  toward  all  but 
intimate  with  few,  and  let  those  few  be  well  chosen  before 
you  give  them  your  confidence,  for  true  friendship  is  a 
plant  of  slow  growth. 

Washington  never  missed  an  opportunity  to  show  his 
esteem  for  General  Sullivan,  and  he  ranked  next  to 
Lafayette  in  his  affections. 

AN  AFTERWORD 

And  now,  dear  reader,  that  we  have  accompanied 
"John  Sullivan  and  his  men"  through  the  picturesque 
and  stirring  scenes  of  the  great  Indian  Expedition  let  us 
take  a  glance  at  the  man  who  was  the  commander-in- 
chief .  Let  us  glance  at  him  as  he  enters  his  tent  to  hold 


A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

a  council  of  war  with  his  four  brigadier  generals  (Clinton, 
Maxwell,  Poor  and  Hand),  while  the  army  lay  in  camp 
on  the  shores  of  Conesus  Lake.  At  the  time  appointed 
for  the  council  he  enters  his  tent  from  a  tour  of  personal 
inspection  of  the  camp.  Genial  in  disposition  he  salutes 
each  of  the  officers  as  he  takes  his  camp  stool  at  the  head 
of  the  council  table.  The  expression  of  his  sun-burnt 
face  is  grave  and  even  anxious.  We  see  a  man  40  years  of 
age,  5  feet  9  inches  tall,  his  face  is  oval  in  contour  and 
swarthy  in  color.  His  eyes  are  dark  brown  and  his 
gold-laced  hat  covers  a  mass  of  dark  brown  wavy  hair. 
He  is  inclined  to  corpulency  which  but  adds  to  the  grace 
and  dignity  of  his  deportment.  He  is  full  of  chest, 
straight  as  an  arrow  and  as  he  sits  there  at  the  head  of  the 
council  table,  he  looks  every  inch  the  brave  soldier  and 
gallant  gentleman,  and  he  is  a  man  who  challenges  our 
respect.  His  father,  Owen  Sullivan,  belonged  to  an  upper 
class  Irish  family  of  ancient  lineage,  and  as  we  have  seen, 
came  from  Ireland  to  the  colonies  in  1723.  All  of  his 
sons  were  men  of  note.  James  became  governor  of 
Massachusetts,  and  William  Governor  of  Vermont, 
John,  the  third  son  (and  subject  of  this  biography), 
received  a  good  education  from  his  father,  who  was  a 
school  teacher,  and  after  taking  a  trip  abroad,  read 
law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Livermore  of  Portsmouth 
N.  H.,  and  a  little  later  established  himself  in  the  small 
town  of  Durham,  N.  H.  He  retired  from  the  continental 
army  in  the  late  autumn  of  1779  and  was  at  once  elected 
member  of  Congress,  and  took  his  seat  in  1780,  but  left 
the  next  year  to  engage  in  the  practice  of  law.  He  served 
two  terms  as  governor  of  the  State  of  New  Hampshire, 
and  one  term  was  Attorney  General  of  the  same  State. 
When  the  United  States  District  Courts  were  erected  in 


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GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  113 

1789,  President  Washington  appointed  him  judge  for 
the  District  of  New  Hampshire.  In  a  letter  to  the 
President  of  Congress,  under  date  of  November  9th, 
1779,  General  Sullivan  says:  "It  is  with  the  deepest 
regret  I  find  myself  compelled  to  request  from  Congress 
liberty  to  retire  from  the  Army.  My  health  is  so  much 
impaired  by  a  violent  bilious  disorder,  which  seized  me 
in  the  commencement  and  continued  during  the  whole 
of  the  western  expedition  that  I  have  not  the  smallest 
hope  of  a  perfect  recovery.  My  physicians  have  assured 
me  that  nothing  but  a  total  release  from  business,  and  a 
particular  attention  to  my  health,  can  restore  me;  and 
my  own  feelings  indicate  that  even  this  will  fall  far  short 
of  my  own  wishes  and  their  expectations."  Washington 
endeavored  to  prevent  General  Sullivan  from  retiring 
from  the  service,  but  seeing  that  "matters  were  drawing 
to  a  happy  conclusion"  he  persisted,  and  Congress  ac 
cepted  his  resignation,  accompanying  the  acceptance, 
however,  with  renewed  thanks  for  his  meritorious  and 
patriotic  services.  As  we  see  him  bend  his  steps  toward 
his  New  England  home,  and  the  loving  arms  of  wife  and 
children,  his  health  wrecked  by  five  years  service  under 
his  country's  flag,  and  his  fortunes  depleted,  as  a  conse 
quence  of  his  neglect  of  his  private  affairs,  we  murmur, 
"Great  and  good  man,  may  peace  and  happiness  hover 
about  thy  declining  years,  and  the  smile  of  God  be  on 
thy  last  hours."  Such  was  not  to  be,  however,  for  during 
the  last  fifteen  years  of  his  life  he  was  hounded  by  creditors, 
and  even  death  did  not  end  the  rugged  chapter  of  a  life 
of  rugged  fortunes,  for  under  an  infamous  statue  of  that 
day,  his  creditors  attached  the  body  and  held  it  from 
burial  until  Colonel  Cilley  (he  who  had  moved  shoulder 
to  shoulder  with  him,  during  the  great  Indian  raid,  six- 


114  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

teen  years  before)  drew  his  pistols,  and  held  the  officers 
of  the  law  at  bay,  while  the  remains  of  the  good  General 
were  committed  to  the  soil  of  the  old  Granite  State. 
His  death  occured  on  the  23d  of  January,  1795,  from  a 
stroke  of  apoplexy,  at  an  inn,  where  he  had  put  up  for 
the  night.  It  is  sad  to  think  that  a  man  who  had  faced 
death  on  the  fields  of  Brandywine  and  Germantown, 
at  the  cannons  mouth  at  Trenton,  and  in  the  wilds  of  the 
"Genesee  country"  at  last  had  to  die  among  strangers 
with  none  of  his  own  kin  around  him.  General  Sullivan, 
while  he  was  filling  the  office  of  District  Judge,  always 
traveled  about  on  the  back  of  a  fine  grey  horse,  and  it  was 
his  habit  to  tell  his  wife  upon  leaving  home,  to  attend 
court,  that  if  she  saw  his  big  white  horse  coming,  without 
him,  she  would  know  that  he  was  dead.  He  left  his  wife, 
who  survived  till  1820,  three  sons,  all  graduates  of  Harvard 
College,  and  one  daughter.  General  Sullivan's  niece, 
Margaret  Sullivan,  was  the  writer's  great-grandmother. 
General  Sullivan  was  a  very  positive  man,  who  entertained 
and  freely  expressed  his  sentiments.  He  never  minced 
words,  but  always  declared  himself  freely.  His  ambi 
tion  and  self-confidence  were  enormous.  Born  to  rule, 
he  was  ill-fitted  to  obey.  No  doubt  he  was  a  little  too 
independent  and  out-spoken  at  times,  but  reader,  let 
us  judge  him  not,  for  we  should  remember  that  he  long 
ago,  went — 

"To  join  the  innumerable  caravan 
Which  moves  to  that 
Mysterious  realm  where  each 
Shall  take 
His  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death." 

and  that  long  ere  this,  he  has  been  judged  by  a  supreme 
power,  by  Him  who  has  said  more  than  eighteen  hundred 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  115 

years  ago,  "Vengeance  is  mine."  He  was  a  lineal  descend 
ant  of  Lord  Donall  O'Sullivan,  "O'Sullivan  of  the  Glen's," 
who  was  dispossessed  of  his  castles  and  vast  estates, 
in  South  Ireland,  by  Sir  Charles  Wilmot,  and  his  English 
forces,  in  December,  1602.  He  was  a  man  who  was  easily 
excited  and  quick  to  anger,  but  his  was  not  a  vengeful 
disposition,  and  he  was  always  susceptible  to  kind  words. 
Like  many  of  his  brother  officers  in  the  continental  army 
he  never  received  his  just  rewards  from  the  country  he 
served  so  well,  and  the  grim  reaper,  when  he  came,  on 
January  23d,  1795,  found  him  as  poor  as  the  proverbial 
"church  mouse."  After  the  disbandment  of  the  conti 
nental  army,  in  1783,  both  officers  and  men  strove  to 
secure  their  pay,  which  was  hopelessly  in  arrears.  Con 
gress  had  voted  half  pay  to  the  officers  for  life,  and  many 
had  agreed  to  accept  a  commutation  of  this  in  form  of 
full  pay  for  a  certain  number  of  years.  Certificates 
for  these  amounts  were  issued  but  in  this  as  in  other  cases, 
it  was  found  impossible  to  procure  the  money  for  the 
purpose  from  the  States.  When  the  disbandment  was 
finally  effected,  the  officers  found  their  certificates  depre 
ciated  in  value  and  the  State's  indisposed  to  honor  them. 
They  consequently  received  only  a  small  part  of  their 
due  and  in  some  cases  nothing  at  all.  This  deplorable 
result  was  due  in  part  to  poverty  but  quite  as  much  to 
bad  faith.  The  country,  at  the  close  of  the  revolution, 
was  in  a  most  demoralized  condition,  the  result  of  the  long 
seven  years'  war  and  the  general  collapse  of  public  and 
private  credit,  which  had  accompanied  it. 

As  a  friend  of  the  great  hearted  and  noble-minded 
Washington,  the  brave  and  patriotic  Greene,  the  chival 
rous  young  marquis  De  Lafayette,  and  all  the  noblest 
statesmen  and  generals  of  the  revolution,  whose  esteem 


116  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

for  him  is  universally  known,  and  to  whom  his  attachment 
never  wavered,  he  will  be  valued  for  his  high  integrity, 
his  steadfast  faith  and  his  loyal  and  generous  character. 
Were  it  necessary  I  could  say  much  more  in  praise  of 
General  Sullivan,  but  I  think  that  I  have  already  said 
enough  to  show  that  he  was  an  honest,  brave  and  patriotic, 
self-sacrificing  man  and  one  who  deserves  to  have  his 
name  inscribed  high  on  the  wall  of  the  temple  of  fame, 
as  one  of  the  foremost  actors  in  the  great  drama  of  the 
past.  The  states  of  New  York,  New  Hampshire,  and 
Pennsylvania,  have  perpetuated  his  name  by  giving  it 
to  counties,  townships  and  villages. 

In  the  spirit  land, 

Stands  Sullivan's  band, 

In  that  far  distant  home  in  glory, 

But  through  the  years, 

A  procession  appears, 

Far  famed  in  the  world's  great  story. 

The  End. 


AN  APPENDIX 

CONTAINING      NOTES,    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS,     BIOGRAPHICAL 
SKETCHES,  ETC. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  LIEUT.  THOMAS  Bo  YD 

Lieut.  Thomas  Boyd,  who  was  massacred  near  Little- 
beards  Town,  on  Sept.  13, 1779,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
in  1756,  and  was,  therefore,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in 
the  23d  year  of  his  age.  He  had  enlisted  as  a  Sergeant 
in  Capt.  Stephen  Bayard's  Company  from  Derry,  Pa. 
in  January,  1776,  and  was  transferred  to  Capt.  Matthew 
Smith's  Company  in  November  of  the  same  year,  and  in 
January,  1778,  was  made  Captain  Lieutenant  in  the  1st 
Pennsylvania  Regiment.  Soon  after,  with  other  rifle 
men,  he  was  detached  from  his  regiment  and  joined  Col. 
Butler,  and  subsequently  served  under  Major  James 
Parr,  to  whose  command  he  belonged  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  was  of  fine  physique,  and  engaging  manners. 
His  younger  brother,  William,  fell  at  Brandywine,  in  1777. 

The  remains  of  Boyd  and  Parker,  were  found  by  the 
army  the  day  after  the  massacre,  and  buried  under  a 
clump  of  wild  plum  trees,  where  they  lay  in  unmarked 
graves,  until  1841.  In  July  of  that  year,  a  movement 
was  set  on  foot  by  some  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Roches 
ter,  N.  Y.,  including  Henry  O'Reilly,  editor  of  the  Union 
(now  the  Union  and  Advertiser),  to  have  the  remains 
removed  to  Mt.  Hope  Cemetery,  which  was  done  with 
imposing  ceremonies.  Here  they  lay  until  1903,  when  the 
Irondequoit  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  American  Revo 
lution,  had  them  removed  to  their  present  resting  place, 
in  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the  great  city  of  the  dead. 

117 


118  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

The  writer's  mother  sleeps  the  eternal  sleep,  less  than  half 
a  mile  away. 

We  can  thank  the  Irondequoit  Chapter,  Daughters  of 
the  American  Revolution,  that  from  a  twenty-five  foot 
steel  flag  staff,  the  stars  and  stripes  now  float,  day  and 
night,  over  the  graves  of  John  Sullivan's  men. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  CAPT.   SIMON  SPALDING 

At  the  terrible  bombardment  of  Wyoming,  on  June  30< 
1778,  Lieut.  Spalding  (whose  name  appears  in  the  roster 
of  officers),  commanded  a  detachment  of  Ransom's 
regiment.  Almost  every  shot  from  the  British  tore 
through  the  fort,  and  men  fell  on  every  side.  A  soldier 
of  Spalding's  threw  himself  flat  on  the  ground.  "No 
body,"  he  said,  "can  stand  this."  "Get  up  my  good  man," 
said  Spalding  cooly.  "I  should  hate  to  have  to  run 
you  through.  You  can  stand  it  if  I  can"  and  the  man 
returned  cheerfully  to  his  duty.  After  the  war,  Captain 
Spalding  was  commissioned  Brigadier  General  of  the 
militia  of  Pennsylvania.  He  is  buried  in  the  little  church 
yard  at  Sheshequin,  Bradford  Co.,  Pa. 

For  the  foregoing  facts  relating  to  Spalding,  I  am  indebted  to 
Mrs.  Chas.  C.  West,  of  Sayre,  Pa.,  and  Mrs.  E.  C.  Rosenfield,  of 
Towanda,  Pa.  Both  of  these  ladies  are  descendants  of  Captain 
Spalding. — O.  E.  R. 

NOTE — Lieut.  Col.  Adam  Hubley,  was  born  in  Lancaster  County, 
Pa.  in  1744,  the  son  of  Michael  and  Rosina  Hubley.  He  died  in 
Philadelphia  of  yellow  fever  in  1793.— O.  E.  R. 

NOTE — Col.  "Tory"  Walter  Butler  was  killed  by  an  Oneida  Indian 
in  1781  while  fleeing  from  the  redskins,  he  tripped  and  fell  over  a 
log;  before  he  could  regain  his  feet,  the  Indian  was  upon  him. 
The  inhuman  Tory  begged  for  mercy,  but  the  Oneida,  shouting  in 
broken  English,  "Sherry  Valley,  remember  Sherry  Valley"  buried 


GENERAL   WASHINGTON'S  ARMY  119 

his  tomahawk  in  his  brains.     Thus  passed  out  of  the  world,  the 
"Fiend  in  human  form." — O.  E.  R. 

NOTE— It  is  told  of  General  Sullivan's  mother,  (who  was  the 
writer's  great -great-great  grandmother)  that  one  time  when  she  was 
in  a  gathering  of  ladies  (among  whom  she  was  a  partial  stranger) 
she  was  questioned  about  her  Irish  origin  in  a  slighting  manner. 
The  brave  and  proud  little  woman,  answered  "Yes,  I  came  to 
America  to  give  you  judges  and  generals." — O.  E.  R. 

NOTE — General  Sullivan  was  a  great  lover  of  horses  (so  is  the 
writer),  and  after  the  battle  of  Brandy  wine,  he  remarked  that  the 
horse  which  was  shot  from  under  him,  there  was  "the  best  horse  in 
America."— O.  E.  R. 

NOTE — The  force  that  attacked  Cherry  Valley  numbered  800, 
and  consisted  of  600  Indians,  150  Tories,  50  British  soldiers  and  four 
officers.  Of  Colonel  Walter  Butler,  Brandt  said  of  him  that  he 
was  "more  savage  than  the  savages  themselves". — O.  E.  R. 

NOTE — For  the  picture  of  the  marker  at  Wysox,  Pa.,  and  the 
one  of  Standing  Stone  Rock,  Pa.,  my  thanks  are  due  to  Mrs.  Sue  R. 
Mercur,  of  Towanda,  Pa.— O.  E.  R. 

NOTE — The  Irish  family  of  O 'Sullivan  derives  its  descent  from 
Oliol  Ollun,  King  of  Munster,  who  reigned  about  the  year  125  A.  D. 
— O.  E.  R. 

NOTE — The  Abbe  Belmont,  who  was  the  historian  of  the  De  Non- 
ville  expedition  in  the  summer  of  1687,  asserts  that  it  was  the 
custom  of  the  Indians  "to  change  their  villages  every  ten  years 
in  order  to  bring  themselves  near  the  woods  and  permit  them  to 
grow  up  again." 

This  may  have  been  true  during  the  period  of  the  earlier  Indian 
occupation  of  Western  New  York,  when  perhaps  the  red  man 
depended  more  for  his  subsistence  on  the  chase  than  the  pursuit 
of  agriculture.  But  certain  it  is  that  during  the  later  years  of  their 
ownership  of  the  soil  their  villages  were  occupied  for  many  years  in 
succession.  Such  was  the  case  with  Kanandasaga,  for  we  learn 
from  the  manuscripts  of  Sir  William  Johnson,  dated  at  Albany, 
June  1 5th,  1754,  that  "whereas  the  French  have  long  been  endeavor 
ing  to  prevail  on  the  Senecas  to  come  and  settle  at  Irondequoit, 


120  A   NEW  HAMPSHIRE  LAWYER  IN 

in  order  to  have  them  nearer  to  their  settlements,  the  more  easily 
to  effect  their  design  of  debauching  them  from  the  British  interest. 

The  Commissioners  are  of  opinion  that  His  Honor  should  insist 
that  the  Senecas  who  at  present  live  very  remote  from  one  another, 
to  make  a  general  castle  near  the  mouth  of  the  Seneca  river,  where 
they  have  already  begun  to  build  a  new  castle. 

In  1 746,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Commissioners  of  Indian 
Affairs,  Sir  William  Johnson  as  superintendent,  in  order  to  more 
fully  bind  them  to  the  "British  interests"  caused  to  be  erected  at 
Kanandasaga  a  large  stockade  fort,  whose  ruins  were  visible  as  late 
as  the  year  1845,  when  the  Hon.  Lewis  H.  Morgan  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  visited  it  and  made  a  drawing  of  its  site. 

The  theory  of  the  Abbe  Belmont  could  hardly  apply  to  this 
settlement  of  Kanandasaga,  for  we  have  quite  convincing  proof  that 
it  was  continually  occupied  for  more  than  twenty-five  years  previous 
to  1779,  when  it  met  the  same  fate  as  the  other  Indian  towns  at  the 
hands  of  General  Sullivan's  invading  troops. — O.  E.  R. 


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